You are 96% sure you are ready to schedule a meeting with your boss to ask for a Salary raise in a Salary negotiation or maybe you are nearing the end of a job interview process and an offer is in sight.
However, you have definitely put your foot in your mouth a time or two saying the wrong things at a dramatically worse moment.
It is important to be clear with what you say to avoid ambiguity, which can complicate things and slow down the negotiation process.
Eight (8) Tips For A Salary Negotiation
Here are Eight Words you should never say in a Salary negotiation:
- “Currently,” as in “I’m currently making…”
The most popular question recruiters will ask a candidate is something like, “So where are you right now in terms of salary, and what are you looking for if you make this move?” DON’T FALL FOR IT! This is called ‘The dreaded salary question’ ans it is wisely because it usually comes up early in the interview process, and most candidates don’t think of it as being a salary negotiation though it is.
Answering this question by disclosing figures can make it very difficult to negotiate effectively later on because trap the candidate in.
Once they disclose current or desired salary, the offer they get is very likely to be tied to those figures. That can be very expensive if the company might have offered them a much higher salary than what they had disclosed.
- “Desired” as in “My desired salary is…”
Do not disclose your current or desired salary! Recovering from this mistake can be very problematic and each scenario is unique. But one way to avoid those original numbers is to review the benefits package for deficiencies.
If the health insurance offering; paid vacation; target bonus or other aspects of the benefits package is overwhelming, the candidate can use those as reasons to ask a higher salary compensation. You had rather say, “I am not at ease disclosing my current salary.
I would rather focus on the value i can add to this organization rather than what i’m paid at my current job. i don’t have a specific number in mind for a desired salary, and you know better than what my skill set and experience can bring to your company. I want this move to be a big step forward for me in terms of both responsibility and compensation.”
- “Sorry“
Negotiating is uncomfortable, and our natural tendency is to try to smooth the edges on a difficult conversation. Saying “Sorry” can signal to the recruiter or human resource manager that you might be willing to back down, and that could become expensive. Don’t apologize for negotiating.
- “No” and other negative words.
You want to continuously improve your situation throughout the salary negotiation and you do that by avoiding negative words and focus on using positive words. Instead of saying, “No, that doesn’t work for me” ( two negative words), You can rather say, “I will be be comfortable with… (positive words)”.
Negative words slow things down and may put up walls that makes collaboration difficult. Using only positive words can be difficult some times, but you will get better with practice.
- “Yes”
While this may sound like the exact word to use when speaking to a recruiter, your words should be used with caution. You will often get a job offer that seems really appealing, and it might be far more than you expected. Your instinct, in this case, might be to just accept the offer because it is so good.
But is it too good? It’s possible you lower your value in this situation. Instead of a straight ‘Yes’, formulate a counteroffer to see how much you can improve it. The negotiation should end with the company saying “Yes” to you or you run out of things to ask for, then you are done negotiating.
6.“later” as in “I can deal with that after i start”
Sometimes, it is easier to avoid uncomfortable parts of a negotiation by differing those parts of the conversation until after you are employed. That can be a very expensive mistake because you won’t have the same freedom to negotiate and improve your position once you are in the door. Push through the discomfort and get the best possible result now.
- More, as in “I want more…”
While this word seems counter-intuitive because you are negotiating to get more, it is a word that is too common for a successful negotiation. Instead of asking for ‘more’ salary or ‘more vacation’, this is your time to get specific. Don’t leave things to the imagination once you are negotiating.
Instead of “could you move up on the salary?”, rather say, ‘i would be more comfortable with a base salary of N200,000.00’.
8. “Want…”
Finally, the word “want” can delay negotiations process . Using it can undercut the entire premise of your argument that you deserve to be paid more and you deserve a more competitive salary. Get into a negotiation with facts and figures, making a compelling case.
Start with printing a copy of your personal salary estimator to identify your worth. See what your base salary should be and see what the industry norms are.
You could talk about what you want, which just isn’t all that important. Or you could talk about what the company wants, which is not as potent as talking about what the company needs, which are the most crucial things. Rather, focus on the company’s needs so they can easily see your value and work to compensate you for it.
