Negotiating Salary Too Soon

I was talking with a past co-worker yesterday who wanted my advice on a job offer he recently received. But before I go there, let me tell you how he got the offer…he walked in! Yes, and he met with the President of the company (50 employees and growing). My friend, let’s call him Bob, did know they had a job opportunity and rather than submit his resume electronically he brought one with him.

For Bob to be able to get face time with the President may or may not be unusual. What is to Bob’s benefit is that he had a conversation with the President who offered him the job on the spot. He liked Bob’s assertive style and saw great leadership potential for him within his small and growing business.

The President and Bob got talking money…salary. They were negotiating back and forth, pre-maturely, perhaps. The President did come up in the salary he was offering just a tad, but not to the point Bob really wanted or needed. Bob agreed he would go home and consider the offer. Meanwhile, the President said he will be interviewing some of the many candidates that responded to his ad.

Hind-sight being 20/20, what could Bob have done differently?

He could have indicated he was really interested in the initially offered salary and gone home to think about it.
He could have accepted it on the spot or rejected it on the spot.
Other thoughts?

Bob will be crunching the numbers and if they work, he will be accepting the offer negotiated during their first conversation. Could he have gotten more??? We may never know.