How to Negotiate a Salary in Three Steps
Tips and Tricks for Earning More Money Negotiating With Your Boss
Aug 28, 2009
To negotiate is to participate in a dialogue with the sole objective of agreeing upon a mutually beneficial exchange of goods and services. Before one engages in a negotiation with his or her superior, it is essential to prepare and know what to expect.
Devise: Prepare for the Negotiation by Clarifying Requests and Expected Outcome.
One must clarify what he or she aspires to accomplish within the negotiation: a higher salary, extra hours, higher pay for overtime or maybe even a promotion. It is important for an employee to be confident and clear about his orher expectations before entering the negotiation. If one finds this task to be too difficult, it is helpful to write down any thoughts or ideas on paper to visually clarify one’s ideas.
Deliberate: Logically Outline the Proposals and Highlight One’s Achievements.
Respectful confidence is the attitude a successful negotiator will assume for the duration of the negotiation; maintain a positive outlook and do not hesitate to exhibit politeness and intelligence. To project an air of confidence, focus on maintaining an upright posture, sustain eye contact and remember to actively listen when you’re not speaking.
Begin by proposing lower-priority requests before acknowledging the most important ones; this way when you arrive at the most important requests you may trade off some of the lesser needed ones, if necessary. One must not forget to intermittently point out all of his or her positive contributions to the work environment, when appropriate. Employees who respectably highlight their distinguishing qualities will exemplify their worthiness and show how they deserve to be granted their requests.
Decide: Examine any Counteroffers Before Concluding the Negotiation.
A counteroffer may be proposed during the negotiation; take time to ask questions and thoroughly understand the proposal. When a mutually beneficial decision has been agreed upon, sign a contract which explicitly states the terms of the agreement. This contract is a physical documentation that can be used as evidence if either party feels as if the agreement has been violated.
Three Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Make sure to prepare for the negotiation; conduct research in advance to reinforce requests with concrete support.
Do not talk too much; there should be a balance in the negotiation fairly similar to that of every day conversation. Listening is just as important as talking because one’s attention signifies care and thoughtfulness.
Do not take on an argumentative tone; one’s objective is to persuade his or her superior to acknowledge their positive contributions and pleasant attitude. Becoming defensive or aggressive will be perceived as signs of weakness and instability.
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