How to Negotiate Stock Options - eHow

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When you negotiate a contract for a new job, it is usually the base
salary that takes center stage. However, it's often the benefits, such
as health care and stock options, that
provide the most value. While some companies present a set offer, others
are open to negotiation. In these situations, knowing about the company
and about stock options in general will help when it comes time to
negotiate.

Learn about the company before you sit down to negotiate.
Read through the company's website, research any news or business
stories about it, talk to employees and discuss its expected future with
a stockbroker who is
familiar with the company. Where stock options are concerned, there's a
real difference between large and small companies. Large companies tend
to have stocks that are fairly consistent and easy to predict, whereas
smaller, startup companies are often high-risk, high-reward when it
comes to stocks. Both can have their advantages, but it always pays to
be knowledgeable about the company

Step 2

Find out the current stock prices for the
stocks that are available to you and learn how they have fluctuated
over the past few years. Call or visit a stockbroker to get this
information, or look up the stocks in the business section of major
newspapers or on websites such as Nasdaq.com or NYSE.com. Not only will
you know about the value of the stocks you're negotiating, you'll also
appear knowledgeable, giving you further negotiating leverage.

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