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Are you a good negotiator?

To get what you want, you have to know how to ask for it. To see how strong your skills are, take this quiz, from Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever, the authors of Ask For It (2008, Bantam) and Women Don't Ask (2007, Bantam).

Score so far: points
3. You want to switch to a division in your company where you'd have more to contribute and the work would make better use of your skills. A friend recommends that you lay out your case in a detailed e-mail.

Instead, you decide to negotiate face-to-face. This will produce better results.


If you put your entire proposal in an e-mail, your bosses may accept or reject it in its entirety. A face-to-face negotiation gives you more flexibility, allowing you to respond to the other person's reactions, offer more information when you sense it's needed, or even change strategy partway through. You can also factor in non-verbal signals, such as body posture and facial expressions.

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