It’s a great feeling to have two potential employers fighting to take you on – but how should you use the situation to your advantage, and without running the risk of losing both sales jobs?
Talented sales staff are a highly-valued commodity and it is not unusual for the cream of the crop to be offered multiple jobs at the same time.
Sit back, take stock
Kevin Dunbar, business manager at Hays Sales, says that rather than rushing into negotiations, the best thing to do is tell both parties that you will consider their offers. "Then sit back and take stock".
"It’s important to take everything into consideration; if it’s your current company counter offering a potential employer, you need to think seriously about why you were looking to move in the first place. Was it for an increased salary, or was there another reason?" say Dundar.
When considering which of the two offers is best for you, consider all relevant factors.
"You should weigh up more than just the salaries on offer. What are the benefits like? How far will you need to travel? Consider what your opportunities for progression are like, and how strong a cultural fit you think you might be. Always bear in mind long-term goals – opting for a higher salary might be a false economy."
Do the maths
Dunbar raises an important point: while an annual difference of say £2,000 between sales job offers might look very tempting, strip that figure of tax and other costs, and it may be actually worth less than £30 per week in take-home pay.
The message is: do your sums, think about the long-term game – but don’t dawdle, employers are busy people and do not want to be kept waiting. Try to take no longer than a couple of days before making a final decision.
How to haggle
There is an obvious temptation to use rival sales job offers to negotiate a better pay and benefits package. It is important to remember that an offer is exactly that – an offer, and subject to agreement by both employer and employee, but also something that can be withdrawn if either side becomes unhappy with the way negotiations are developing. It is important that both sides know, at each stage, what is being asked for and what is being offered, so follow up any verbal discussions with emails clearly setting out how things stand.
The trick is to be reasonable and polite with requests. If you want to work with Company A but Company B is offering more, tell your first choice you have a rival offer but would prefer them, and is there any way they might match the competitor’s package?
Also, be clear in your own mind, before negotiating, which company you will sign up for if your preferred employer budges only a little or not at all. You can’t keep your rival employers waiting for too long.
Graham Halewood, associate at BMS Recruitment, says that in their hearts most sales people with two job offers know which business they would really rather work for, and should keep that in mind when negotiating.
He adds: "However, you have to be seriously considering both offers. It does not go down well to bargain hard for a job and then turn it down. If you’re not serious about a job offer then don’t waste time negotiating with them – that’s just an ego trip."
Improved income or better benefits?
Negotiating extra money is often easier than haggling for extra benefits: while good employers might be willing to pay a little more to get a good sales person, few would be willing to rip up their corporate personnel procedures by offering, say, more holidays or home working for the sake of one individual.
Employers are also wary of potential sales staff who negotiate too far and try to squeeze out every extra penny and benefit – they start to doubt the candidate’s sincerity and commitment to the business.
Halewood says: "Employers like people who commit to what they say. If you’ve managed to negotiate an extra £1,000 on your salary, and then start haggling over the type of car you want, it doesn’t go down well."
Let them down gently
And when you decide which sales job to take up, don’t gloat or snub the business you turned down: let them know quickly, but let them down gently.
Dunbar says: "When it comes to declining one of the offers, remain professional. Make sure your contact is aware that you were grateful for the opportunity but feel that the other role is more suited to you. Be polite – you never know when your paths might cross again."
Search the latest sales jobs
