Let’s get real: most people would rather buy a used car than negotiate salary. You want what you’re worth, but you also don’t want to go through the excruciating, sometimes embarrassing, give-and-take to get there. And what if you can’t reach an agreement—will you walk away or accept less than you deserve? You might not have to if you use these tips to negotiate your best salary up front.

• Research. How can you successfully negotiate if you can’t quantify what you’re worth? Use online salary tools to research salaries in your job class, industry, and geographic location. What is the going rate, and why do your skills and achievements entitle you to that much or more (or might explain you being offered less, if you lack certain skills and experience)? You did your homework, you know your fair market value, and you’re not about to be taken for a ride!
• Let them open the negotiations. It can be tough to evade questions about salary, but you want your prospective employer to throw out the first number. (A great way to stall? Say you’re more interested in working at the company, and that you’ll consider any reasonable offer. You can also say you’re excited about the opportunity to work together.) If you’re forced to show your hand, offer a salary range, like $75,000 to $100,000. This builds in wiggle room for you to justify why you deserve more than the bottom of the range. And you know if you say a blanket “$75,000,” you’ll never get more than that.
• Don’t be afraid to push back. If you’ve made a case based on market value and your unique offerings, don’t be afraid to politely push back on a too-low offer. “Is that number flexible at all?” is graceful without sounding greedy, and the worst you’ll hear is, “No.” You can also ask for a day or two to consider the offer, even when an offer meets or exceeds your expectations—you never know when a cool head can work to your advantage, plus it gives you time to research or build a counteroffer.
• Show a light at the end of the tunnel. Newsflash: Employers dislike salary negotiations as much as you do. Teasing an end to negotiations, such as, “If you can do that, I’m on board,” takes the pressure off by proposing a clear end to an unpleasant dance. It’s all over if they just say yes!

And of course you know, don’t even mention salary requirements until you have a written job offer. You won’t help your cause to make demands before an employer is sold on you. But once you know you’re the top candidate, negotiate away!