Money Fix: Aim high in pay talks

For job candidates looking for a higher salary offer, here's an unusual, and not for everyone, technique. When money comes up, just joke that you would really like, say, a million dollars.

Though psychology professor Todd Thorsteinson says he has not studied real-life job negotiations, he does tell of his research with students playing the role of employers and their awarding higher (pretend) salaries after such jocular -- and over-the-top -- requests.

His thinking: It could be, says Thorsteinson, of the University of Idaho, that people focus on that extreme number and "then attempt to adjust away from it."

For example, if he were to jokingly ask for $100,000, the employer realizes that's too high and starts adjusting down, which is "cognitively demanding [it requires time and effort]." So they may stop "as soon as they reach a plausible value."

Maybe: Ted Turnasella, a compensation consultant in West Islip who does salary negotiating sessions, says that, depending on the circumstances, such an approach might work, as it fits in with a key negotiating strategy: "introduce the topic in a nonthreatening way."

Thumbs down: But Barbara Viola, president of a high-tech staffing firm in Farmingdale that works with large corporations, says she thinks the technique would be a turnoff to employers. "Joking for a lot more money," she says, "it really could backfire."

Still: Turnasella and Viola agree that employers do expect you to ask for more. Viola suggests you just say, "Is there any flexibility in salary?" And then be quiet.