Avoid these 5 phrases when asking for a raise—and what to say instead, according to a salary negotiations expert
By | Fotini Iconomopoulos | www.cnbc.com
Initiating a conversation about your salary is often an uncomfortable process to navigate. The fear of rejection and disappointment can make it easy to get tongue-tied and use language that might hurt your chances of getting what you want.
All successful negotiations begin with being aware of the words you use. I’ve spent more than a decade coaching Fortune 500 executives and their teams on how to achieve their objectives through effective communication.
When it comes to compensation negotiations, here are the five phrases that set people back the most:
1. ‘More money’
What to say instead: An exact salary range.
Too often, negotiators freeze up when naming their request. They shy away from specifics and make open-ended statements like “I want more money.”
But the best way to get what you want is to say what you want. I’ve seen people hesitate because they’re worried they’ll either aim too high or undersell themselves by aiming too low.
No great negotiator goes in unprepared. Do some digging on your team and in your market to find out what people of your caliber are making. Use that data to determine the lowest amount you’ll accept, and state it clearly in your range.
What to say instead: “I deserve this because…”
Great negotiators don’t think, they know. They are confident about how much value they bring to the organization, and they aren’t afraid to articulate it.
If you’ve gotten praise from co-workers, managers or other supervisors, bring those emails or performance review notes to the negotiation conversation. Adding outside, objective opinions will make your case even more compelling.
And wherever possible, quantify. Speak about your contributions in specific terms like revenue increases or successful projects you worked on.
