One of my negotiation training clients asked me for help in getting ready for a job interview and how to position herself to negotiate the best compensation offer.  We talked for a bit about the company she was interviewing with. I quickly learned that she knew exactly what she wanted and had prepared her speech in preparation to get the offer that she wanted. The glaring omission from her preparation was an understanding of what the company was looking for and why they were talking to her, in particular.