The key is to keep the conversation going

, whether with the same person, or with someone else, like her boss, the actual hiring manager etc. Don't fall to the yes/no question trap. It's true that benefits like sick leave and 401k are pretty much set but the point is have something to say to keep the discussion alive. What Boss1010 said at the very end is the essence, that is, business is about communicatons and making compromises. One small technique to keep a conversation going is not to answer a yes/no question directly. Rather talk about things in a more open-ended way. There have been quite a few very specific suggestions on this in the thread already.

It's okay not to get what you wanted from time to time. That's life. The important thing is to learn from experience so next time you won't be at such a big disadvantage when haggling again.