1) Clarity. The boss has
many things on his mind. He's having conversations with the finance
department, human resources, the CEO, various customers, the sales staff-on
top of whatever is going on in his personal life. What are the chances that
he will accurately remember the details of your conversation a month from
now? Plus, it's important to make sure there is actual agreement. Recently,
a number of sales people were negotiating with a company that was hiring a
sales staff for the first time. One pushed the issue of a company car, got
the agreement in writing, and actually got the company car. The others got a
vague promise of a company car "in the near future," but the company never
followed through. Months later, they were still driving around in their own
cars.
2) Transitions. With
turnover being what it is today, realize that the boss who hires you today
may not be your boss in six months or a year. An oral agreement is tough to
enforce with a new boss. Consider the experience of our client, David, who
was hired to move to another state and open a new restaurant. David
negotiated a round-trip plane ticket every six months to visit family and
friends. The next year, there was a major reorganization, and his boss was
let go. At first, the new boss was indignant when David asked about getting
a free plane ticket, but fortunately, David was astute enough to have gotten
the offer in writing. The new boss honored that agreement.
3) Human relations. Could
there be a worse way to start your new job than to have a disagreement with
the boss over your negotiations? It's bound to cause hard feelings and could
undermine the employment relationship. Don't let it happen. So, how do you
ask? Just say, "This sounds great. Should I write up the agreement-or will
you?"
