[Icemaster]

I tell them what the market is for someone of my skillset. They can easily look it up and get the salary surveys themselves if they want to. That sets a baseline for negotiation and gives me the opportunity to upsell them why I'm worth 10-20% premium over market.

I don't mind being asked that question up front at all, it gets some of the functional issues out of the way quickly and lets you move on to whether or not you like each other. I know my value. Do the research before you even go in for the interview, that's one of those things that you must know before you even sit down to talk.

Take that number and add in the "what's it worth" factor for you to change jobs. Everyone's got their "what the hell number", my experience is that those that value the skillset will either hit it or get within 5%. Those that don't won't come close. It's been a very successful litmus test for me.

Remember that you make your best deal walking thru the door.