I got a job offer and would like to ask a slightly higher base salary, perhaps 5-10% more than the current offer. What they are offering is not bad but I would like to try to negotiate, because once I've accepted it will be much more difficult to ask for anything extra. What is the best way to do it so that I don't lose the opportunity? The company is quite small and probably flexible in terms of pay grades and approval policies.

I would definately at least try, if you dont ask you dont get the worse that can happen is they say no, they obviously liked you or they wouldnt have offered

Agree with the logic but then again if they are small they might not be as flexible as you think. Your most powerful weapon is a good reason and logic ie: you’re giving up a good bonus/salary rise in a few months; they’ve overlooked that their package hasn’t got a car allowance; not reasonable to expect you to make a sideways move as you’re an ambitious person wanting to take their career forward; had another offer last year of more than this etc etc. A bad story is that you’ve had lots of interviews for better paid jobs. Tell them you are really keen and that if they could only see their way to make it x you would be delighted to accept. They won’t withdraw the offer unless you are after an insane uplift or handle it in a way that makes them question whether they have made the right decision. But they might say no! In that case the final throw of the dice is to see if they will agree to an early review/poss. promotion, based on achievement of specific objectives. Good luck

How can I respond to a formal offer asking for more money? Should I call the contact person or email him?

Ideally, you should have more than one offer... the most powerful advantage is the knowledge that you can walk away from this. If you can't do that and you're not very good at the "bluff" game, then you're basically left with begging. Now, if you're willing to try to bluff, do a lot of research. Sites like Glassdoor.com should be pretty good ways to find out what the market pays... if your offer is under the prevailing market rate, make sure to use that to your advantage. Furthermore, make sure that you position yourself as an investment and not just another hire. Obviously, you cannot say this directly but I hope you've done so in your interviews.Lastly, be flexible... if they cannot pay you more, try to negotiate the more... "performance pay" options like the bonus (clear KPIs for payouts) or other benefits (tuition reimbursement, for example).Hope this helps.

All good advice here, to which I would add, how much do you want to work there Ping Pong? If the firm and the role look good, you like the people you have met, and can see a progression at least in exit options, then taking the offer at 5% lower than you would have wanted would still make sense.If you want to negotiate on an offer you have to be prepared to walk away from it.

Always negotiate pay over the phone, NEVER on email. Only start the negotiation when you have teh original contract in writing. Prepare a reasonable case for a package 15% above and you'll probably get to your target. You don't really need a competing offer, just a good argument.