It’s common to feel anxious or nervous about salary negotiation. When you know your value, it can be easier to negotiate a salary. But if you don’t know, it can be so intimidating. It’s even worse if you are not confident in your negotiation abilities. When negotiating salaries, it is best to employ some arguing tactics that will allow you to get the best deal possible.
How to negotiate for a higher salary
Salary negotiation conversation can be both empowering and nerve-wracking. It can be empowering to take a stand for what you want and make a deal happen.
However, it can also be nerve-wracking if you are unsure of what to say or how to approach the person you are negotiating with.
Whether you are trying to get a job, increase your salary, work towards a promotion, or want to negotiate other details for your contract, you should know the steps to take and get what you deserve.
Here are 16 examples of salary negotiation:
1. Do your research and prepare
There is one thing you should always do before negotiating with your employer, research salary ranges. Know what you are worth — do a little research to know what other people in similar positions earn.
Sometimes, it is not easy to know if the amount of money you are asking for is higher than what most other people in your industry are making. But the point is you should make sure you are asking for a reasonable amount.
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2. Be calm and polite
Keeping calm is the right thing for any situation, especially when you are negotiating a salary. If the other person sees you are under pressure during the negotiation, it puts them at an advantage.
You want to remain calm and collected throughout your negotiation process so that you can get everything you want.
If you are getting a lot of pushback, don’t get angry and start arguing with them over it. It will help you get through to the negotiation with less frustration and better results.
Also, be polite but firm, and keep it professional at all times. Smile and make sure your body language doesn’t show any anger, frustration, or disappointment.
It will make them feel comfortable and not get the wrong idea about your feelings towards the offer.
3. Ask for a higher salary
When negotiating salaries, it is best to use negotiation tactics to get the best deal possible. For instance, start the negotiation by asking for a higher salary than you think the other person will accept.
The reason for this tactic is that people often offer a lower salary figure and make it appear like they are giving you a good deal.
If your bottom line is $70,000, then ask for $80,000 instead. The other person may counter with $70,000 or $75,000 (which might happen if they can’t go higher than their budget), at least you were able to push them to your bottom line.
Negotiations are all about compromise anyway. So, if they want you, they will probably be willing to offer a higher salary without much fuss.
4. Don’t be discouraged
You will always be met with some objections when negotiating salary. For example, someone may tell you that there is no room in the budget for a higher salary, but that’s just an excuse.
Many times, it isn’t even up to the organization to decide how much they pay you. So, don’t allow yourself to be discouraged by some of the most common salary negotiation objections.
One of the most common objections the other person may have is that “we cannot afford to pay you more or the budget will not allow for it.”
Another common rebuttal is the line “it’s just not possible,” which people often use when they don’t want to negotiate salary. For this reason, you should say something like “I understand that $XXX is what you feel the position is worth, and I respect that.”
“However, if we could find a way to make it work, would you be open to increasing the offer?” When you say this in a non-confrontational tone, they are far more likely to respond favorably.
5. Use facts
Use facts about you or focus on the company. Highlight all of the skills and experience you have that make you a valuable asset to the company, but don’t be over the top about it.
Explain why you deserve a pay rise or high salary and up all of your claims with facts and numbers. You can use these facts to explain why you are worth more than what they initially offered while also giving you a win-win situation if you are willing to compromise.
6. Use your negotiation skills
Ask questions to get the salary information that you need! Here is one example: “What is a typical range for someone in my position?”
You can keep the negotiation moving along by asking for small milestones such as: “Is there any wiggle room in your offer? “Is there anything else to consider during the negotiation process?” What if I get this amount instead of that amount?
Finally, you can ask the standard question: “How do we move forward?” This will also help you make sure that your ideas get considered. But you don’t want to ask too many questions and slow down the whole process.
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7. Focus on your value
Show what you have accomplished at work instead of just sticking with numbers alone. Your boss will be much more impressed with your accomplishments than with your current salary.
People often try to convince the other person that they deserve more money. Provide facts and data that demonstrate why you are worth more. It will likely lead to the employer recognizing your value and offering you a competitive salary package.
8. Don’t be greedy
When someone offers you more than what you expected or hoped for, congratulations. It might be possible to get them to increase the offer even more if you ask for it. But don’t be greedy and go overboard.
You don’t want to run the risk of them thinking you are greedy, which could make them walk away from the negotiations. This does not mean you can’t ask for a little more to see if they give it to you.
If the other person doesn’t want to budge and has already made what seems to be a more than fair offer, it’s probably not going to happen.
Don’t make unreasonable demands because it will make the other party frustrated and could cause them to walk away.
9. Be open-minded
Sometimes when we get too focused on getting what we want, and miss out on the bigger picture or the opportunities that may come with the position.
We might miss out on a great opportunity just because we are too focused on what we want, which could mean losing out on something much better than what we originally wanted.
10. Don’t bluff
You shouldn’t try and play poker when negotiating a salary. While it can be tempting to convince your employer that you are someone worth investing in, using tricks like threatening to quit or walking away can end up backfiring.
Bluffing is ultimately counter-productive and will only devalue you in your employer’s eyes. The best way to land the best possible salary is to be polite but persistent.
Act like you want the job. You might feel like your employer is offering a lower salary than you would hope, but remember that they want you as an employee as much as you want them.
11. Keep it professional
It’s important to remember that negotiating is a business transaction and acting as one of the parties has something to gain doesn’t help anyone in the long run.
Haggling over salary can lead to sour feelings and may potentially damage your working relationship. Even if you are desperate, keep yourself in check and ensure that you come across as professional throughout the negotiation process.
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12. Be confident
Confidence is essential in any situation when negotiating a salary offer. However, being cocky is a quick way to discourage the other party. Of course, this does not mean you need to grovel at someone’s feet (although that may work in some situations).
It means not going into too big of an ego trip when negotiating with the other person about your salary. One effective way of getting what you want is to convey your value by highlighting what you bring to the company.
13. Don’t take rejection personally
Most people or companies will not agree to all of your requests, and that’s why it is necessary to develop thick skin. If you let negative feelings get in the way, it might be hard for you to negotiate your salary and get the results you want.
Conclusion
Take stock of your worth and be confident in negotiating your salary. If you are not or don’t know how valuable you are, you need to work on that first. You should never feel discouraged from asking for what you deserve.
Many professionals are afraid to ask for a raise or the right compensation package because they don’t know what they are worth. There are a few ways to determine your worth and to become confident in negotiating your salary.
Never reveal how much money you would settle for right off the bat. It may be tempting to do this, but that can hurt you in the end. It gives the other party all of the power.