And another good point MoneyTick made, is that so often these negotiations are full of empty demands and rhetoric. And that's what I hate about them.
"We'll pay you X."
"No, I need Y."
"We'll give you X + 1, but not Y"
"How about Y - 1"
There's no real substance in a discussion like that. It's just a power struggle and who is willing to give in first and you never know what the other party's breaking point is - the point in which they will say, "Just forget the whole thing. We'll look elsewhere." It's just a huge guessing game. All the more reason that pay should be based on results, I suppose.
Correct, it is a power struggle that you will lose. You will be replaced with a person who follows orders. A TJ type will make the decision without your input. If they like you, they will go their boss and make the case. Your input does not mean sh.. to them. It is their world, their plan, their office, ad infin.