The Squeeze Lover

Hi Danny: 

I have a candidate who my client loves. They interviewed them on a Wednesday and extended an offer the next day. 

The candidate likes the company and may be getting another offer from a competing company, but it hasn't come and the candidate thought it was coming today. The candidate is at $70k and needs to be at $80k to accept the job. This is due to a longer commute - an additional 30 minutes and her current company pays 100% of her health insurance premiums. The new company does not. I've shared with the client that the candidate would not accept anything less than $80k. They extended an offer of $75k. Prior to the offer being extended I told the candidate that the client is targeting someone at $70k and that I expected the offer to come in at $70k - $72k. 

The reason the candidate is moving is because she feels stagnant and lacking upward mobility. She believes the new company will provide her more upward mobility. 

Any suggestions on how I can get this to come together?&nbs

Danny replies: 

You close this in two parts. First, we go to the candidate and do an “If…Then…” Close…” The company was planning on making an offer of 70-72K, if I can get them to move that to 75K, they would only do so if that meant you would accept AND let the competing company know you are off the market and have accepted another opportunity. (which you would need to see in an email to verify) …Does that work? 

(If you get a yes, you’re home free, if you get, as I suspect you will, a sense that since they aren’t giving her 80K she might as well wait for a competing offer, don’t change anything with the candidate, leave her thinking the offer MIGHT be 75K, and then Part Two.) 

Call the company. “You pay me to be in her head. By only offering 75K, it seems to her that she owes it to herself to wait for the competing offer and hope it is higher. But as she sees it she was transparent about needing 80K, and if you can’t commit to her, she doesn’t need to commit yet to you. I can make this all go away and end this right now if we can either give her 80K or give her 75K plus a 5K one-time sign-on bonus…what are your thoughts?” 

You say the client loves her. My philosophy has always been, “You squeeze the lover, not the loved!” 

Good Luck! You got this!!