How to Win Your Salary Negotiation
Showing enthusiasm is your secret weapon.
Glasp’s Note: At Glasp, we value the close personal relationships we’ve built with like-minded innovators, so we’re excited to welcome Alex Choi and Gerta Malaj for this guest post. Co-founders of YourNegotiations.com, Alex and Gerta, are friends of ours who are passionate about helping individuals unlock greater career potential and financial freedom through negotiation. You might also remember Gerta from her appearance on Glasp Talk, where she brought her expertise from roles at LinkedIn, IBM, and beyond to shed light on the art of savvy negotiation. We’re thrilled to continue our collaboration and look forward to sharing their invaluable insights.
Hey Glasp Community,
We’re Gerta and Alex from YourNegotiations.com. We teach people to become stronger negotiators in the workplace and to increase their compensation by 5 to 6 figures.
Here’s a quick tip that feels obvious but often gets forgotten when under the pressure of live negotiations:
Always express excitement about the role, the company, and the team in every interaction.
Why Enthusiasm Works
We often get asked if showing too much excitement can make you seem desperate and if “playing it cool” or “hard to get” is a better negotiation approach.
The answer is no - it often will not help, and could possibly hurt, your candidacy if you’re playing hard to get. We’ve seen employers consistently choose the almost-perfect-but-enthusiastic candidate over the perfect-on-paper-but-lukewarm one. Why? Because excitement:
Shows you’ll be an asset to the team: Employers aren’t just looking for skills—they want someone ready to crush it in their job. Enthusiasm shows you'll be pleasant to work with, engaged, and fired up to onramp into the new job quickly.
Will boost your chances of receiving the offer: We've been on the hiring end of interviews and would almost always score higher the almost-perfect, excited candidates over the perfect (on paper), lukewarm candidates. The former demonstrated that they could be coachable and motivated to improve themselves in the job.
Will boost your chances of getting better offers: If employers see that you're all-in on the role, they’re more likely to go the extra mile to make it work for you. From a recruiter's perspective, why not give concessions and sweeten the pot for a candidate who seems likely to accept?
How to show excitement the right way
Demonstrate your fit for the role: Instead of a vague “I’m excited for this role,” explain why. Try something like, “The company's focus on innovation really resonates with me because of my background in [your expertise/past experience where you leveraged innovation to accomplish a work project].”
Assume best intent: Even if you face any negative situations, such as the company giving you a lowball offer or becoming hostile in their communication, maintain your cordiality. This will help break the tension and thaw resistance on their end from giving you what you want.
Stay professional: Enthusiasm doesn’t mean over-the-top gushing—keep it warm but polished.
Enthusiasm isn’t a weakness—it’s a strength that makes employers want to say yes—because, at the end of the day, employers want someone who’s excited to come on board.
And most importantly, the recruiter and hiring manager is more likely to advocate internally for you if they know you're genuinely excited to join if the compensation were better.
Learn More
If you want more negotiation tips, follow our weekly newsletter.
If you’re in the job search or expect an upcoming negotiation, book a free consultation call.
Best,
Alex & Gerta
Co-founders of YourNegotiations.com
📣 Community Updates by Glasp
🟥 Glasp Talk with Gerta Malaj:
Glasp Talk features intimate interviews with luminaries who reveal their emotions, experiences, and stories. The guest, Gerta Malaj, is a seasoned negotiation expert and co-founder of YourNegotiations.com. Gerta has spent over a decade honing her skills in big tech companies like LinkedIn and IBM, as well as in global biotech startups and venture capital firms.🟦 Updated User Profile OGP:
We’ve updated the Open Graph image for Glasp profiles. Now, when you or others share your profile on social media, a brand-new, visually appealing preview will appear, making it easier to showcase your highlights and reading journey. We hope you enjoy this fresh look and continue to spread the word about Glasp!
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This was a fantastic read! 🎯 I love the emphasis on enthusiasm as a negotiation strength—it’s so true that hiring managers gravitate toward candidates who show genuine excitement. It’s a great reminder that while skills and experience matter, attitude and engagement can be the deciding factor in landing a great offer.
Also, the tip on assuming best intent is a game-changer—keeping negotiations professional and cordial, even in tricky situations, can make all the difference. Thanks, Alex & Gerta, for these insights! 🙌
Has anyone here used this approach in their negotiations? Would love to hear your experiences!
Great insights, Alex and Gerta! 🙌
Thank you for sharing these valuable negotiation tips—enthusiasm truly makes a difference in landing better offers.
For anyone preparing for a negotiation, don’t miss out—book a free consultation call with them and take your career to the next level! 🚀
Here's the link to book a call: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/freecallglasp