Negotiate your Salary Like A (and With the) Boss

Justin Ethington of Your Worth Salary Calculator

Most people shy away from confrontation with good reason. But avoiding confrontation doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate your salary like a boss. Here are the 6 main negotiation strategies for maximizing your salary without being disagreeable.

1. Don’t reveal your target salary too soon. Avoid disclosing your salary expectations until you know you’re a finalist for the job. Delaying the answer without upsetting your potential employer requires timing and diplomacy. To put off answering the salary expectation question, you’ll need your own personalized statement explaining your reasons. Practice this phrase so it sounds natural and friendly. It may save you thousands. Your employer should make the first offer salvo.

2. Know your salary worth. You can easily research a job’s salary range – and sometimes it’s even listed in the job description. Your goal is to find typical job salaries for people with similar experience and skills in your industry.  Many of these types of calculators aggregate salary data from state and federal sources to show you how much you should be making. You need to answer the question, “If I don’t take the job what would the company have to offer to find someone as good as me?” Without having this kind of salary data you won’t be able to justify your compensation.

3. Prepare Your Case. After gathering reliable data you can use to negotiate your salary, you now can prepare for your salary case. When you make a case, be sure to ask yourself what puts you in the “plus salary” category. Do you have the industry experience, skill or qualification that sets you apart from others? Can you exert effort beyond what is expected of you in this role or at your level? Use these “aces” to your advantage when you talk to your boss. You must be prepared to cite your data and give a substantial explanation why your boss should grant your requested salary.

4. Rehearse and Reflect. You may find this weird, but this really helps you to gain confidence before the negotiation. Now that you have the supporting data to back up your case for your desired salary, it’s time to tell yourself that since you’re worth more, you deserve more! Practicing with a friend or someone who can give you pointers on your delivery can help.

5. Know The Big Three. When you arrive for the interview, know the three numbers that will direct your discussion.

Optimum – your ideal salary

Acceptable – an acceptable salary

Dealbreaker – a no-go salary

Your employer probably has his/her own three numbers as well. Good negotiations will find the common ground.

6. Be Respectful. Always be respectful toward the boss throughout the negotiation period and even after it. Do not demand a salary raise in a confrontational way. The thing is, if you do this, your boss may push back harder or change his or her perception of you.

Be confident when you present you data to your boss. Show enthusiasm. Approach the negotiation in a confident yet respectful manner. This will always make you professional and pleasant.

As a final advice, you must be patient. Your boss may not give you an immediate answer during the negotiation. There may be issues unknown to you like budget constraint that won’t allow the company to grant your request at the moment. Raise the issue at the right time. It’s all about hitting the button at the right time.

About the Author

Justin Ethington is the founder of Fame Tag and Volt Marketing. He also manages Your Worth free salary calculator websites that are designed to help young professionals in different industries calculate their fair-market salary.