I’m a Professional Negotiator: These Are the 7 Things Everyone Should Do To Get Higher Pay
Written by
Jacob Wade
Edited by
Gary Dudak
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Negotiating your salary can be scary. Whether you’re asking for a raise at your current job, or negotiating your pay for a new gig, it’s intimidating to ask a company for money.
But it’s important to get paid fairly for your work, and if you don’t negotiate for the compensation you want and feel you deserve, you could be stuck working for less that you’re worth. Even worse, you could severely limit your lifetime earnings if you don’t fight for higher pay each time you take on a new role or more responsibility.
We asked a few negotiation experts about the most important things to know when negotiating your salary. Here’s what they say you need to do when seeking higher pay or asking for a raise.
Be Prepared
Walking into a job interview or negotiation without doing any research ahead of time is a recipe for failure. Not only does it put you at a disadvantage when negotiating, it can also show the company that you don’t care much about them or the job in question.
Before you interview for a job, you should have some research under your belt about the company, the job, and even the department you’ll be working within. This helps you respond in a more informed way, and ask more relevant questions throughout the process.
When it comes to negotiation, it’s important to have an idea of what you are willing to accept, and what would make you walk away from the job. This allows you to negotiate within your expected terms and not regret accepting a salary or benefits package you aren’t happy with.
Elle O’Flaherty, founder and a career coach at Interlace Solutions Coaching, also recommends negotiating for more — even more than you might think is possible. “When deciding whether to negotiate your salary or continue to negotiate, ask yourself: will you feel valued at this number?” said O’Flaherty. “You don’t want to go into a job feeling like you aren’t valued. You’re probably worth more than you think. On average, my clients who negotiate receive 25% above the high end of the salary range in the job announcement.”
Be Flexible
Negotiating a pay raise or starting pay for a new job is complicated, and it’s important to stay flexible throughout the process. Many jobs operate under certain constraints, such as a salary cap, but allow you to negotiate other benefits, such as time off, bonus structure, remote work flexibility, or stock options.
Even if you can’t get the exact salary you are looking for, you may be able to more than make up for it with other job perks. There are multiple ways to negotiate, so avoid getting stuck just on the base pay amount.
O’Flaherty recommends negotiating everything, even vacation time. “It’s not just about the salary,” said O’Flaherty. “If you love to travel, negotiate another week [of vacation time]. My clients almost always get it when they ask. Negotiating benefits and perks can be more valuable than a higher salary.”
Be Likable
When I worked in a sales job, my manager used to always say “people buy from people they like.” The same is true for negotiating your salary or a pay raise. It’s important to be likable throughout the process, even if you’re staying firm on your desires.
When negotiating, remember that you are not across the table from your enemy that you must crush, but you are negotiating with someone who can help unlock the pay, benefits and work lifestyle you desire.
So make sure to work WITH the interviewer or representative who can help you get the pay you deserve. When making a request, buffer your questions with a compliment, such as, “I’d love to join the team and start contributing to this new initiative we just talked about. I love the culture your company has built, and see a few ways I can make a BIG impact. Can we talk about meeting in the middle salary-wise and maybe when a good start date would be?”
This tactic helps ease the recruiter into asking for more money by showing your strong interest in the company and how you can help make an impact right away. It brings their guard down, and makes them more likely to want to go to bat for you.
Ask Lots of Questions
One of the most underrated interview tactics to help you secure a promotion and get the highest pay is to ask a LOT of specific questions about the company, the role and how you fit there. This requires knowing your strengths as well as a decent amount of research ahead of time, but it can help you stand out as a candidate.
While many interviewees are focused on answering questions, the most prolific candidates ask clarifying questions to get a more accurate picture of what the interviewer is looking for — and then answer confidently.
And at the end of the interview when the interview invariably asks, “Do you have any questions for us?,” you should chime in. Asking more about the specific role, the current business initiatives, and even bringing up solutions they may not have thought of can position you as the expert and number one candidate.
Additionally, asking about the future of your role in the company and how you can grow into a higher-level position will automatically put you on a fast-track for growth within the company.
During salary negotiation, continue to bring up your insightful comments and questions from the interview to remind them why you’re the top candidate. This can help boost your worth and increase your offer.
Be Patient
Salary negotiation is not immediate. There are processes that each company must follow, so don’t be worried if you don’t receive a response right away after making a specific salary request.
Many times you are negotiating with the HR department, and not directly with your boss. This limits what the recruiter can do, and they may need to go back to the hiring manager and bring your salary and benefits requirements to the table.
If you try to rush to a final number or expect prompt responses, you’ll be disappointed. If you put too much pressure on the company representative, they may be less willing to accommodate your requests, or to go to bat for you with the manager that holds the final say.
In addition, the more you exercise patience, the more leverage you may have when negotiating.
Donna Shannon, professional career coach and president at Personal Touch Career Services, recommends taking your time when negotiating. “From not instantly accepting the first offer to just pausing once the numbers are spoken, using silence and pregnant pauses will strengthen the negotiator’s position,” Shannon said. “After all, there is truth to the statement that whoever speaks first loses.”
Don’t Over-Negotiate
While you should absolutely get paid what you’re worth, negotiating hard just because you can might not get you the result you want. While most recruiters have flexibility, some work within salary or other constraints. And if you push too hard, you might get pushback, or lose your leverage in negotiating altogether.
Negotiate on the things that matter the most — starting salary, benefits, signing bonus — but don’t haggle every little thing. This might leave a bad taste in the recruiter’s mouth and at worst, they might rescind the offer.
Remember, you want to stay likable while you’re negotiating. Let them know, based on your experience and background, you need to fall within a certain salary range. But if they don’t offer the exact amount of vacation time or office perks that you really want, you might be able to back off a bit.
If you’re going to be at the company long-term, building a good report upfront might pay even more dividends down the road.
Perform
The best negotiating tool you have is your performance. Whether it’s specific milestones and job performance at a past position, or performance in your upcoming role, becoming a top performer can open up the highest levels of pay.
If you’re new to an industry and don’t have a ton of experience, but you are confident in your abilities, you can use this in your negotiation. While a recruiter might not be able to give you top-dollar right away, negotiating in a mid-year performance review to re-peg your salary at a higher level might work. This allows your performance to do the negotiating for you, and gives management a reason to pay you more, sooner.
If you’ve already been a top performer before, you want to make sure to spell that out during negotiation. Showcase your numbers, how you increase sales or decreased expenses for a company, and make sure your measurable performance translates to an increase in pay. You can quickly show the value you will bring to the company, making it easier for management to pay you more.
Bottom Line
Negotiating your salary doesn’t have to be scary. With the right tools and some practice, you can become an expert negotiator and quickly increase your salary.
One of the biggest benefits of earning more is that you now have a new baseline to work from. In future negotiations, you can use your high salary to demand more, and continue to showcase your ability to be a top performer.
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