How to Negotiate a Higher Starting Salary with
Proven Salary Negotiation Tips

You have more bargaining power than you think when negotiating a higher starting salary. The key is understanding and taking advantage of the employer’s negotiation salary range. Use the following salary negotiation tips to hammer out the best pay package for you.

  1. Understand that negotiation involves three key elements.
    The more you understand what is involved in a negotiation, the better equipped you can be to be successful as you exhibit strong salary negotiation skills. Negotiation involves three elements. (1) Information: Employers appear to be in a place of strength because they have more information about what a position is worth and how much they are willing to pay. (2) Time: In most cases, employers are not constrained by time; they can take as much time as they need in the hiring process whereas many employees need a job now. (3) Power: Employers seem to be the ones with the power. While they do ultimately make the decision on whether or not to hire you, you don’t need to give them additional power in the negotiation process. Learn how you can put yourself in a position of strength when negotiating for a salary by implementing the proven negotiation strategies in “Get Paid What You’re Worth.”
  2. Do realize that your salary is negotiable?
    Did you know that about 90% of all human resources professionals expect you to negotiate? Knowing that the employer expects you to negotiate will help you be less intimidated, more open and willing to negotiate.
  3. Focus on the value you provide.
    As you contemplate how to get a higher salary through negotiations, focus on the value you provide, the benefits that will be gained, the outstanding results and overall impact for the company. Don’t dwell on what the employer is providing in return or you will become sympathetic to them and it will lessen your desire to make a case for yourself.
  4. Create stories that show the problem, action and result.
    An important salary negotiation skill is sharing stories during the negotiation that illustrate the value and impact of your accomplishments. Each story takes a specific problem or situation and shows the action you took and the results that were achieved. Through stories, the person on the other side of the negotiation will understand how valuable you will be to the company.
  5. Realize the first figure out of the employer’s mouth is the lowest.
    Companies almost always start at the bottom, expecting you to counter with something much higher. They expect to meet on a middle ground. By understanding the salary negotiation tips in the “Get Paid What You’re Worth” program, you’ll learn how to get a higher salary during a contract salary negotiation.
  6. Discuss salary only after your potential employer knows your value to the company.
    Another salary negotiation tip is to delay the salary discussion until you feel you’ve done an effective job communicating your value to the organization. If you discuss salary before they know the value, they won’t be willing to give you as much as you deserve. The “Get Paid What You’re Worth” program will give you the necessary salary negotiation skills so that you know how to get a higher salary during contract salary negotiations.
  7. Do ask for 15%-20% more than you what you want.
    The key to the negotiation is making sure your high number is higher than you want. This will give you room to negotiate and actually get the number you truly desire. You have nothing to lose in contact salary negotiations by starting with a high number. The worst case scenario is that you have to go back to the original amount discussed.

If you would like to gain the salary negotiation skills you need to get paid what you’re worth, sign up for Joel’s proven 10-step program today! Throughout this program, Joel will provide you with insider information on salary negotiation strategies that will help you get a higher salary!

Want a little more personalized advice? Wish you could dig a little deeper into understanding salary negotiation on your own time? As one of the country’s leading career coaches, Joel Garfinkle provides one-on-one coaching to people interested in learning how to negotiate a higher starting salary. His book, Get Paid What You’re Worth, offers additional insights into getting the money you deserve for your performance. Sign up for career coaching today to learn how you can get personalized career coaching or to order your copy of Get Paid What You’re Worth!

If you would like more information on how to ask for a raise or how to effectively conduct a job offer salary negotiation, Contact Joel.

His experience helping thousands of individuals obtain their career objectives makes him one of the most sought after career coaches in the nation.

 

"I was making only $50,000 with a wish to make $70,000, but Joel recommended I ask for the unbelievable amount of $94,000. I was surprised when my employer accepted. Joel's Negotiation Strategies gave me a new perspective on salary negotiation."

Margaret Dick
General Manager,
Gentry Communications

 

"As a direct result of my work with Joel, my salary and benefits went up 20%, my autonomy within my organization reached unprecedented levels, and I learned how to create islands of excellence in an academic institution. It was the best money I ever spent, and my suspicion is that you will find the same."

Betty Wilkinson
Associate Director,
The IRIS Center at the University of Maryland

 

"Joel helped me see how valuable I was to my company. After 2 coaching sessions, I was able to see what a powerful position I was in. Instead of approaching negotiations in anxiety and fear I was able to confidently ask for what I was worth. I started this process thinking that I would ask for 7-10%. I got 29% salary increase, the amount that Joel suggested."

Charles Huff
Senior Software Engineer,

 

"Joel inspired me to ask for a salary increase right after the economy tanked. I never would have had the courage to approach my boss at this time, but Joel systematically walked me through all the reasons I absolutely had to ask for a raise and then coached me through the process. I was shocked when my boss came back to me with the utmost respect. And more importantly, I gained a lot of self-respect from the process as well. I would recommend Joel to anyone looking for help with career negotiations of any sort. He's a master!"

Elizabeth DeSimone
Self-employed Writer,

 

"When switching to my new employer, I realized how inexperienced I had been in negotiating salary and benefits at my previous positions. With Joel's help, I was able to navigate the situation with confidence. Joel not only helped me to clearly communicate the value I could provide and why I deserved the amount I was asking for, but he also helped me recognize my true value as a professional, regardless of my choice of employer. Based on Joel's advice, the company gave me the exact amount I desired. The whole process gave me confidence and a new outlook on the negotiation process."

Noah Goldstein
Scientist,