Salary negotiation: 10 tips for guaranteed more money
1. get the boss in an agreeable mood
2. always argue with your own achievements
3. you must make the opening offer for a salary increase
4. never accept the first counter-offer immediately
5. "Adjust" the salary
6 Listening is the art
7. money or free time?
8 Stay on the ball
9. rhetorical pauses are a good tactic
10. keep calm ... especially at the end
Have you decided to ask for an interview after all? Great. Experts always advise a healthy self-assessment at the beginning. So: Who am I? What have I achieved? What do I want? If you can answer these three questions for yourself, you are already well prepared for a salary negotiation. This is because you will also know what your arguments are, namely what makes your work good. Set yourself an ideal limit, an "acceptable" limit and a pain threshold. Set the required amount slightly higher than the ideal and choose a crooked number. Studies have shown: This has a more convincing effect and signals: I know what I'm worth, right down to the euro. And: The boss will then no longer think and act in increments of hundreds. Then ask for a one-to-one meeting, introduced like this: "I've been with the company for two years now ..." or "I'm about to complete a project ..."
Our 10 tips for more money
1. get the boss in an agreeable mood
Don't open the door straight away, but start your conversation with questions that the boss always has to answer in the affirmative - then he'll stick with it.
2. always argue with your own achievements
"I'm better than xy" doesn't count. It's all about your performance, your area of responsibility and your loyalty to the company. In salary negotiations, it is very important to substantiate factually what you can and do.
3. you must make the opening offer for a salary increase
This is how you achieve the anchor effect: the brain then automatically searches for comparative values. And your offer is the reference point. Find out in advance: on the one hand, colleagues talk about their salary, on the other hand, companies must now also show transparency. Comparison portals on the Internet can also be helpful, but be careful: they are often only rough guide values - if your sector is currently at rock bottom or doing extremely well, it is not always shown on comparison portals. It is therefore important to find out what is paid in your industry, in your position and in your city.
4 Never accept the first counteroffer immediately
You have stated your desired amount and the boss makes a counteroffer. This shows that he is willing to negotiate. Very good. But: never accept it. Now you need to find out how much financial leeway he has. Perhaps you can adjust the salary in two steps!
5 "Adjust" the salary
Don't talk about a salary increase, but about an adjustment. This implies that something was not quite right before and now needs to be adjusted. So there is a reason.
6 Listening is the art
If you listen carefully, you can also ask questions. These will help you to find out what the boss wants from you and what he is prepared to give. Just make sure he doesn't get into a situation where he needs to explain himself.
7. money or time off?
Would you prefer three more days' vacation as much as an extra 300 euros? A company car or the payment of expensive rail fares as a commuter can also be an option. Play through the options beforehand, which could also be interesting instead of a higher salary. The nasty thing: Sometimes salary increases can lead to higher taxes and duties, leaving you with less in your bank account at the end of the month than before. Keep this in mind in case your boss doesn't want to give you a penny more.
8. stay on the ball
The budget for raises is exhausted, next year again, the boss remains tough. Make an appointment now for the next round. Your boss may be a little annoyed with you - show him that you won't be put off so easily. But always in a friendly way, of course. Surprise him with your new determination. It's not called merit for nothing: you've earned a higher salary!
9 Rhetorical pauses are a good tactic
You are sitting in a conversation and nobody says anything. Some people find this very uncomfortable and start chatting away. Don't do that. Answer the questions and then keep quiet. That shows determination!
10. keep calm ... especially at the end
In this last hot salary negotiation phase, some people lose their nerve - it's called standby stress. Remember: strength lies in calm. In the last three minutes, you should slow down and take a deep breath so that you can make a well-considered decision.
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