Accepting (or declining) a job offer doesn’t have to be complicated.

After all the networking, applications, interviews and waiting, the job offer is finally coming through. Now what?

Should you negotiate? Should you stall? Should you accept even if it’s a lousy offer (bird in the hand and all that)?

First, plan ahead. For all the working and waiting you’ve been doing, your end goal is a job offer, so don’t be so surprised when someone calls and says they want to hire you. You’re worth it, and they know it.

Planning ahead for the offer starts with the decision to consider new positions, internally or externally. Ask yourself a series of questions, and know the answers, and you’ll be ready when the offer comes through.

What to ask yourself:

• What do I have in my current job that I want to keep when I start something new?

• What would I like to leave behind?

• What am I missing, that I definitely need in the new role?

• Financially, what will it take to make me move?

• What’s the fair market salary for the position I’m exploring right now?

After every interview, ask these questions again. Be open to new information. There might be a benefit you didn’t expect, or an opportunity you’re becoming more curious about. You might need more money than you initially expected, or there might be a trade-off you’re willing to make, flexing on salary or bonus potential in order to work with a certain group or on a specific project.

Additional questions to be thinking about during your job search include: commute time, travel requirements, remote vs on-site or hybrid requirements, and career growth potential. By the time an offer comes through, you have already had time to consider these aspects of the role. They don’t usually change when the offer is made.

Who else needs to weigh in? Finally, run potential scenarios by your spouse, mate or family. I once made an offer to an executive that involved a relocation. Our discussions all along ensured me that his spouse was on board. The deal almost fell apart, however, because his teenager refused to move. Who will be impacted by your job change? Make sure they’re in the loop and on board before you ever get to an offer.

When the offer comes through, your initial response comes easily. Start with, “Thank you.”

Be clear, be confident and be honest. Check your list against the offer. Is the travel requirement what you expected? Are relocation details available? Does the schedule look like what everyone had discussed in the interviews? If you don’t have the answers you need, ask. Immediately. Don’t wait until the next day. Just get the details you already know you need right now, while everything is verbal and still mushy.

Negotiate now. This is the best time to negotiate, because the hiring team is keeping in close contact on your response. If you need something more, if the offer isn’t hitting all the requirements on your list, now is the time to discuss. This goes for everything you might negotiate, including pay. By planning ahead, you are well aware of what you need and what’s fair for the market. If the offer falls short, is there something else that offsets that, such as bonus potential, a company car or education reimbursement?

How to ask for more. You are thrilled to get an offer, and this one is mostly everything you want. However, the dollar amount is a little less than you had anticipated. The best way to ask for more is to do it immediately and openly. “I appreciate the offer and I’m really excited to work for ABC company. My only hesitation is that I was looking for (insert dollar amount here). Is there any way to get closer to that number?”

Stalling doesn’t always pay off. But sometimes, it does. Let’s talk about that:

• Maybe you want to “sleep on it.” Say so, pointing out exactly what aspect of the offer you’re uncertain about, and telling the offer-maker when you’ll circle back. If you’re well-prepared, you won’t have to sleep on it. You’re already awake to the offer, and can make a decision based on the requirements you laid out for yourself in advance.

• Maybe you want to “run it by” someone else. Say so, pointing out that it does / does not meet the expectations your family had for the offer. If there’s a specific pain point, bring it up now. Maybe there’s something in the offer that can be changed. For example, “We were expecting this to be mostly remote. I don’t mind being on site but I need to think through the transportation situation.”

• Maybe you have another offer in the wings. Say so, indicating what would be different about that offer, and where your preference to work would be. “I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to work on your ABC team, but the other company requires less travel. I’ll need a day to think through how this would work for me.”

• Maybe you MIGHT have another offer in the wings. This is when you say, “I need to run this by a couple of people to make sure they’re on board. Can I get back to you in two days?” Then, get in contact with the other company, tell them you have an offer and you’d like to know where they’re at in their process. If they can’t come back quickly with an offer, you have your answer. Make your decision based on the company who’s ready to commit, and the offer that’s on the table. Some people regret holding out; others are glad they did. Just don’t keep the committed company down on one knee. Either you do or you don’t. Tell them.

After that, accept or decline, keep in touch with the company and the people you met there, and move forward. How you accept - or decline - an offer can impact your career in ways you can’t even imagine. Keep your relationships, reputation and career intact by managing your job offer the way you managed your search: professionally.