How do you negotiate the pay you deserve? This is one of my favorite topics! I’ve been coaching clients on these skills for years.
Here’s a few tips to get started:
Do your homework. What is the market value for your position? Ask questions and do the research. What do your competitors earn? What do their compensation packages look like?
Go for more. Understand that when negotiating, you must go for the top, realizing that 80 percent of the time you will get a counter offer.
Look beyond salary. Base pay, bonuses, benefits, vacation time, stock, and signing bonuses all figure in to total compensation. Most people only focus on salary and sell themselves WAY short on the rest. Listen: you can have a lower salary but an incredible overall package that adds up to much more than strong base pay.
When negotiating, make sure you have lots of items on the table so that you have a few to give up. If you only go in with a few, you won't have anything to give up and you will sell yourself short.
You must understand that you are worth it; you must act like it and believe it. You need to be direct, candid, and confident. When negotiating you, never waffle. My goal is to always make myself uncomfortable with what I am asking for -- that is where the magic happens!
Comments