HAPPY 2016
May It Be Your Most Productive, Fun
and
Stress-Free Year Ever!!
You basically get one shot at asking, either at your annual review or
at some moment when you say ‘enough is enough.’ So be prepared to
make the pitch count: don’t use words like ‘I feel’ or ‘I think;’ instead,
bring to the table a list of projects you worked on,
review the value they bring to the company,
explain how you plan to raise your game,
and how the work you do pays for itself.
-Jerry Piscitelli, Co-Founder Portopong and Inventor
Do you feel comfortable asking for a salary increase or does the thought stress you out? Well, if your answer was the latter, you are not alone! Salary.com inquired: ‘Should I even ask” and more than 60 percent listed ‘being fired’ or ‘just being rejected’ as the reasons they do not ask. Salary.com went on to inquire of Human Resource professionals, you will love their response, 0 had ever fired anyone for requesting a salary increase. In fact, Salary.com found more than half of employers fully expect current and prospective employees to negotiate for more money.
You can never assume that your company will proactively offer you their highest and best salary increase. Recent U.S. jobs data disproves this theory as the facts reveal the average hourly earnings increased only 1.7 percent over the past year. Please delete your old programming and begin reprogramming a new more powerful salary script for yourself.
It may not be easy to step up and negotiate an increase in your salary, but if you want to remain competitive, getting comfortable with negotiation is the only answer.
- Know the Landscape: Just because you want or need a raise is not reason enough for you to get a ‘yes.’ Researching both the external marketplace including your company’s competitors as well as the financial climate at your company is paramount. What is your market value? Align your monetary worth with the specific added-value contributions you have made and will make in the future to your company’s bottom-line. Powerful negotiation compels you to know your value better than those across the table from you.
- Practice, Practice, Practice: Do not let your nerves determine the outcome. Selling yourself is the toughest kind of presentation you will ever make. Get comfortable. Practice is your friend. And by the way, do not offer a specific dollar amount first (though you have determined it), let your leaders be the first to offer a number.
- A ‘No’ Has ‘No’ Meaning: Do not take it personally. It is simply a business decision. The reality is a ‘no’ today does not mean a ‘no’ tomorrow. Keep the door open to return in three months or six months to readdress the issue or to decide the climate might be better for you with another company.
If you are interested in taking the reins of your career and income, stop standing on the sidelines. In today’s marketplace, being proactive regarding your salary is mandatory. Initiating the steps in this arena is all part of your career growth. Stress is always an element in negotiation. It is simply a matter of whether you lean in to succeed or back off. The truth is pushing through is the only way to allay your stress over salary.
