Too Long; Didn't Read
If you want to be a tough negotiator on your own behalf, you need more than attitude. Some people are quite good at "creating attitude" These are the great salespeople who can sell sawdust to lumber mills. Most tech people do not have these kind of skills, so you have to prepare. You must always be negotiating from a position of strength. In America, strength is defined by having enough money to say, "No" If you are in financial straits or even on a very tight budget, it can be difficult to negotiate anything.