How to write a salary negotiation email? The statistics reveal that those who negotiate their salaries witness an average increase of $5,000 in their starting pay — a tangible testament to the power of effective negotiation skills. An extra $5,000 could be yours, merely by applying the wisdom garnered from this article! You are capable of achieving this!
Startlingly, even though a staggering 70% of employers anticipate salary negotiations after extending an initial job offer, less than half of job seekers summon the courage to negotiate at all. It is understandable if the prospect of asking for more money seems daunting or uncomfortable, as you are not alone in your trepidations.
Establishing Your Salary Range: The Balancing Act
In most cases, companies already possess a salary budget encompassing a lower and higher value. To approach a job offer conversation with confidence, you should determine a salary range of your own.
Initiate by defining your low point: This denotes the minimum base salary you can accept while ensuring financial stability. This figure is largely influenced by your cost of living and previous employment history.
Identify your midpoint: Based on your meticulous research, this represents the typical salary for professionals with a skillset similar to yours. It’s a realistic, data-backed value that aligns with your expertise and industry experience.
Establish your high point: This signifies your dream salary—a figure that feels like an advancement and a promotion before even commencing the job. While we might all fantasize about asking for a million-dollar salary upfront, it must still be a realistic number supported by your experience. Often, it aligns with higher values listed for comparable positions. By effectively justifying your potential as a valuable asset to the company, this number might even transcend standard pay ranges for your industry.
Now, relinquish the low point and confine your salary range between the mid and high points. Commit these two figures to memory, ensuring you are well-prepared for every negotiation with prospective employers.
How to write a salary negotiation email?
Navigating salary negotiation is akin to engaging in a high-stakes poker game, where your potential employer aims to secure your services while minimizing their financial investment. On the other hand, you strive to secure the highest salary possible, striking a harmonious chord that leaves both parties satisfied—a win-win situation where the company gains a stellar hire, and you receive the compensation you rightly deserve! To achieve this feat, consider the following tactics:
1. Back Your Words with Research
Begin by delving into salary ranges within your industry. Discover how pay varies across different regions to gain a comprehensive understanding. If it feels organic, incorporate these figures into your email, presenting a well-researched argument.
2. Highlight Your Achievements
Demonstrate your worthiness for a higher salary by outlining your past successes. Quantify your contributions with hard numbers: how much money did you generate for your previous employer? How significantly did productivity increase under your guidance? Let these metrics speak volumes about your value to the company.
3. Maintain a Positive Tone
Approach the email with optimism and confidence. Show your enthusiasm for the job and convey your readiness to start once this detail is resolved.
4. Seek a Second Opinion
Before hitting “send,” seek feedback from a trusted friend, family member, or colleague. Ensure your message strikes the right balance between firm and accommodating. Revise as needed until you’ve achieved the perfect tone. Aim to respond to the offer within 24 hours at the latest.
5. Exude Kind Firmness
When negotiating for a new job, consider using this script from Rebecca Thorman at U.S. News & World Report:
“I’m genuinely excited about the opportunity to work here, and I am confident in the value I can bring. While I appreciate the offer at $58,000, I had anticipated a salary closer to $65,000 based on my experience, drive, and performance. Can we explore a salary of $65,000 for this position?”
6. Seize the Power of Anchoring
The anchor, or the initial number proposed during negotiations, carries significant weight as it sets the tone for the rest of the conversation. To retain control, always be the first to present a number, ensuring that you establish the starting point rather than your counterpart.
7. Aim High with Your Asks
Psychology suggests that you should always request more than you actually desire. When you start with a high number, your negotiating partner may perceive a better deal if they negotiate down from your original ask. Don’t shy away from asking for too much; the worst-case scenario is a counteroffer, whereas not negotiating may result in receiving nothing.
8. Employ Strategic Stalling
Executive career coach Jack Chapman proposes a valuable technique: when faced with the other party’s initial offer, resist the immediate urge to reply with a simple “OK.” Instead, respond with an intrigued “Hmmm.” This brief moment of contemplative silence can work in your favor, prompting the other person to enhance their proposal.
9. Explore Alternative Options
Should your boss or the hiring manager remain unyielding in terms of salary, consider pursuing alternative benefits to enhance your compensation package.
You might explore negotiating for flexible working hours, increased vacation time, a better job title, or the opportunity to engage in highly desirable projects and assignments.
10. Persistence in Negotiation
It is true that the art of negotiation can be intricate, encompassing a plethora of techniques, tactics, and scripts detailed in numerous books.
However, the good news is that with practice, it becomes more manageable. Moreover, as your negotiation prowess improves, you stand to secure a more substantial financial return. Thus, seize the moment and embark on your negotiation journey, equipped with newfound skills to navigate the process proficiently.
11. Engage with Curiosity
Should your negotiation partner exhibit signs of disapproval or discomfort upon hearing your offer, don’t be discouraged. Embrace the opportunity to foster collaboration by posing open-ended questions that keep the dialogue flowing.
Drawing from Pynchon’s suggestions, inquire thoughtfully: “Seems like that took you by surprise. Tell me more…”; “What is the budget for this position based on?”; or “How can I help you move more in my direction?”
12. Embrace Counterarguments
A refusal from the employer after requesting a higher salary doesn’t signify the end of the conversation.
Consider employing this tactful approach, as recommended by Thorman: “I understand where you’re coming from and just want to reiterate my enthusiasm for the position and working with you and the team. I firmly believe my skills are perfectly suited for this role and are worth $65,000.”
13. Avoid Mentioning Personal Needs
Resist discussing personal financial needs, such as increased rent or childcare expenses, during negotiations. Concentrate on showcasing your professional achievements and performance to make a stronger case for your value to your employer and their superiors.
14. Seek Advice
After presenting the benefits and value you offer, ask for advice from your negotiating partner. Seeking their recommendations not only flatters them but also encourages them to understand your perspective and possibly advocate for your request.
15. Avoid Using Ranges
Mike Hoffman advises steering clear of the word “between” during negotiations. Abstain from presenting a range like “I’m looking for between $60K and $65K,” as it may convey your readiness to compromise, causing the other party to focus on the lower figure.
16. Avoid Resorting to Threats
Preserve a positive and constructive atmosphere during the negotiation, as your goal is likely to continue or establish a fruitful working relationship with the other person.
Smith advises, “Whatever you do, don’t threaten to leave if you don’t get the raise.” Additionally, refrain from leveraging other job offers, interviews, or recruiter conversations as bargaining chips.
17. Emphasize Market Value
Rather than basing discussions on your current salary, redirect the conversation towards your “market value,” which represents what individuals with your qualifications are earning in the industry. Translate any percentage differences or metrics into concrete dollar figures to reframe the dialogue on tangible terms.
18. Prioritize Your Requests
Present your desired benefits and terms in order of importance during the conversation. By rank-ordering your priorities, you allow your negotiating partner to understand your interests without revealing excessive information. In turn, you can ask them about their priorities, seeking opportunities for mutually beneficial trade-offs that cater to both parties’ essential needs.
19. Unearth Your Value
To secure the compensation you truly deserve, understanding the prevailing pay rates in your specific industry and geographic location is paramount. Entering a salary negotiation without a clear number leaves you vulnerable to an adept hiring manager who may dominate the conversation.
Conduct thorough online searches on platforms like Payscale and Glassdoor, and seek insights from professionals in your field—both men and women—to evade falling prey to the gender pay gap.
20. Engage with Recruiters
Recruiters hold a treasure trove of valuable information. Embrace those calls and engage in discussions about job responsibilities and remuneration. Even if they don’t provide a precise figure, obtaining a salary range can prove advantageous.
21. Harness Your Thoughts
Organizing your research and thoughts in one place streamlines your negotiation strategy. Utilize the free resources available at She Negotiates, a valuable tool for both men and women alike.
22. Aim High: Reach for the Top
Amidst your research, you’ll establish a salary range that reflects your market value. Instead of settling for something in the middle, strive for the higher end. Firstly, acknowledge that you’re entitled to top pay, as advised by She Negotiates founder Victoria Pynchon. Secondly, employers often negotiate downward, necessitating wiggle room to secure a satisfactory salary.
23. Precision Pays Off
Researchers from Columbia Business School suggest seeking a precise number, such as $64,750 instead of $65,000. Specific figures bolster your negotiation request, as employers perceive greater effort in researching your market value to arrive at the exact sum.
24. Embrace the Power to Walk Away
Establish a “walk away point” during your salary considerations—an offer so unsatisfactory that you must decline. This threshold may be influenced by financial needs, market value, or personal fulfillment.
While turning down an offer can be challenging, recognizing when to do so empowers you to say “no” and assert your value.
25. Timing is Everything
Turns out, timing holds the key. While most opt for performance review season to request a salary adjustment, the decision has often been made by then. The optimal approach is to initiate discussions with your boss three to four months in advance. This period coincides with their budgetary planning, as advised by writer and former HR professional Suzanne Lucas of EvilHRLady.org.
What If It Falls Apart?
Though negotiations may not always yield the desired outcome due to budgetary constraints or other reasons, do not lose hope. Employ the lessons learned from this guide, and with persistence, you’ll find yourself successfully navigating future salary negotiations with zero regrets.
Should you find yourself still in search of the right role, rest assured that our comprehensive job listings across the internet can assist you in discovering your ideal job. Begin your job search journey on our site today!