"But, I'm always open to negotiation" is a good way to guarantee you won't get what you want.
It's pretty well accepted that the first person to give a number loses, so you want to push this on them. They are the business with a budget, and a budget for your position, they already know what they can and can't afford. All they are trying to figure out is how much you are undervaluing yourself.
This question typically comes up WAY too early as well. If this is part of the phone screen I just tell them it's too early to tell as I don't know the full responsibilities of the role and other factors such as growth potential, etc.
It's pretty well accepted that the first person to give a number loses, so you want to push this on them. They are the business with a budget, and a budget for your position, they already know what they can and can't afford. All they are trying to figure out is how much you are undervaluing yourself.
This question typically comes up WAY too early as well. If this is part of the phone screen I just tell them it's too early to tell as I don't know the full responsibilities of the role and other factors such as growth potential, etc.