subject: How to Negotiate Your Salary Effectively [print this page] How to Negotiate Your Salary Effectively How to Negotiate Your Salary Effectively
When you get a new job or when you ask for a raise, a salary negotiation usually takes place. This represents a sticking point for many people, because they don't know how to negotiate effectively and they often end up getting lower salaries than they deserve.
As a communication coach, I've been teaching many of my clients how to negotiate their salaries effectively. Here are the steps that work best for them:
1. Know the market. It's important to know what a fair salary is for your job, in the kind of company you work for and considering your responsibilities. In order to do so, you must know the market. So make sure you do your homework and you come to the negotiation with a good understanding of the salaries in your niche.
2. Show results. The only really efficient way to justify asking for a certain salaryis through your results. Your employer can best be persuaded to give you the salary you want if you prove to them that you can add a lot of value. Your previous results are the ones you can use to imply the future results you'll create.
3. Ask for more than you really want. By requesting a bigger salary than the one you really want, you leave room for negotiation. Thus, you can make a compromise during the negotiation; you can lower your salary demands and this way only reach the salary you're really aiming for. This is a simple but highly helpful negotiation technique.
4. Stand your ground. Many employees compromise a lot during a negotiation because they are afraid that if they don't they'll lose the job. However, this fear is many times unrealistic and exaggerated. Be willing to stand your ground and take some risks in a negotiation. If you truly are a valuable employee, you will get the salary you're asking for.
With good salary negotiation skills, you can get benefits many employees only dream of, and you can ensure top compensation for your work.
