re: How does one go about negotiating salary?

I've always thought it was funny that so many people are uncomfortable with talking about money during a job interview.

When asked about expected pay, my typical response is:

"I know most people feel uncomfortable talking about pay, but it is an important deciding factor. I am looking at the total compensation package, not just monthly pay, and it is very attractive. BUT I really need to be at XX amount when the dust settles."

Also, whenever I filled out an online application, I would always select inflate my desired pay to allow some room for negotiation if it went that far.