SMALL BUSINESS PROFILE: Handshake Negotiation Group

Great at your job but terrible at negotiating your comp package? You're in good company! 

Fortunately, when it comes to getting paid what you're worth, you don't have to go it alone. Handshake Negotiation Group can help you nail all the critical conversations. 

Today we're speaking with the founder, Brad Bertolet about how he helps clients maximize their salary and compensation package through strategic and effective negotiation.

What inspired you to launch Handshake Negotiation Group?

As cliché as it sounds, it came down to two things:

1. Fixing something broken, and 

2. Doing something more meaningful.

During my five years in leadership, I interviewed countless candidates, including probably 50 for my own team. As those candidates moved through the system, I noticed a problem: the strongest candidates didn't regularly unlock the strongest offers.

It might sound counterintuitive, but hiring strong talent at the lower end of their range rarely pays off, and raise pools are a big reason why.

Most managers get a limited "raise pool", typically ~5% of their team's total payroll, from which they administer annual raises. If an average performer is under-compensated, you'll feel compelled to use a disproportionate amount of your pool just to bring them up to baseline, which strains your ability to properly reward high performers.

So, underpaying them from the start doesn't just hurt the employee; it hurts the team and its leaders as well.

As for the second factor, doing something meaningful, helping people improve their lifetime earnings and reshape their financial trajectory is deeply rewarding. There's a real satisfaction in being able to say to yourself "okay, this work matters".

Describe your typical client - 

Simply put, anyone considering a job change or trying to negotiate a raise is exactly who this service was built for.

Because I spent 15+ years in sales, and because sales compensation has unique moving parts (base + commission = on target earnings), the majority of my clients have come from sales and GTM roles. That said, one of my first clients was a Chief Product Officer at a public company.

Similarly, while my background is rooted in tech, my clients span multiple industries. Just recently, I added a pharma sales offer to my list of successfully negotiated contracts.

The service itself is industry-, role- and even level-agnostic. To answer your question in another way: my ideal client wants to take control of their career and compensation outcomes.

And there is one pattern that I care about changing: as a leader, I often saw male candidates negotiate harder and longer than their female peers. My mom was a people leader for 22 years and saw the same. That gap doesn't reflect ability in the slightest; if anything, it reflects conditioning of the hiring team, candidate, or both. I'm proud that the majority of my clients are women intent on pushing to be paid what they're worth.

What's the most common mistake people make when negotiating compensation with an employer?

There are many mistakes candidates can make, but three stand out:

1. Focusing too much on salary only

2. Divulging specific figures -- and doing so too early in the process

3. Not proactively developing their alternatives

How does your process work?

For someone pursuing a new role, I usually break the process into three phases:

Pre-Interviews: Training

A "Negotiation Download" training, which covers early pitfalls and strategies to protect your leverage and keep comp conversations creative and flexible, all before you ever speak to a recruiter.

Mid-Interviews: Preparation

We prepare a "Negotiation Decision Tree", which acts as a playbook for anticipating the recruiter's moves, managing emotions, and making wise counteroffers.

Post-Interviews: Coaching

Guidance before and after each touchpoint with the hiring team. We review offers verbal and written, refine late-stage asks, and map out when to walk away or sign.

At its core, Handshake is a white-glove service that shifts power to the candidate. We give them the skills, confidence, and clarity to take control of their compensation from the first conversation to the signed offer.

What's the best place for potential clients to get more info?

Our website is a great place to start, or if you're keen on connecting ASAP, please don't hesitate to email me at [email protected]. Or, set time directly on my calendar: https://calendly.com/brad-handshakenegotiation/30min