HOW TO NEGOTIATE THE RAISE YOU DESERVE WITHOUT LOSING WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE

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HOW TO NEGOTIATE THE RAISE YOU DESERVE WITHOUT LOSING WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE
By Cathy Goodwin

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(1) Before you enter a negotiation, find out if there are restrictions on
what you can get. For instance, if a job is advertised at a certain title
and salary, some companies will not negotiate beyond what is formally posted.
If your company has a limit on raises, you can't get more unless your
boss jumps through a lot of hoops.

(2) Know what's important to the company and to your boss. I once
heard a story about a person who was hired to promote a line of
products. He was super-successful! Then he found out that the company
just kept those products as a loss-leader for image. They had no desire
to expand that product line.
Never mind what's rational. Companies reward people for doing what the
company wants. If the company's values conflict with yours, you have a
decision to make.

(3) Set out what you have accomplished (or what you CAN accomplish, if
you're applying for a job) that contributes to the bottom line of the company or division. How has your work helped your boss get
his or her accomplishment? Show how your job has increased sales and
(hopefully) profit, saved time and money, or somehow added value.
If you have a job with no measurable contribution to the bottom line,
start thinking about a career change.

(4) Find out your boss's negotiating style. Some bosses like people
to challenge them. Some prefer written documents, others face-to-face
conversation, others e-mail.
Does your boss need approval from a higher authority to give
you a good raise? If so, you need to make it easy for your boss to make
a case for you. Similarly, when applying for a job, make your case
in the cover letter so the boss can go to his/her boss and "sell" you.

(5) Decide your own bottom line. What's your market value?
Are you ready to move for more money or more pay?
Do you have other options, if you are job-hunting?
Don't threaten (unless that's your organization's culture; in some
universities, for instance, you need to show another offer in order
to get a raise for yourself).
If you know your bottom line, you will have the quiet confidence that
communicates nonverbally.
If you are not marketable, do the best you can with this go-round and
then begin to consider a career or job change. Or find ways that you
can become more marketable on the job, such as courses or classes.

Cathy Goodwin, MBA, PhD
Author 9 Magic Keys to Career Freedom
http://www.movinglady.com/freedombook.html
Free monthly Career Freedom Ezine: subscribe@movinglady.com
Visit http://www.movinglady.com or call 505-534-4294

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