I recently wrote about how to update your resume and level-up your interviewing skills.

Now, it’s time to talk salary negotiation!

I often hear my clients say they are “terrible at negotiating” and have “left money on the table” simply by not asking for more when they were offered a job.

They say they feel “yucky” or “greedy,” or simply not confident about how to navigate this kind of conversation.

As your career “Mighty Mouse,” 🦸‍♀️I want to save the day on this topic, too – and, never hear anyone say these words again!

So, with the help of Negotiation Trainer and Strategist, Susan Borke, I’m going to help you prepare, so you can get paid more than you expect.

To begin, Susan says:

“If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

In her LinkedIn course, she recommends taking these actions before and after the salary negotiation:

Phase 1: Preparation (i.e. you, preparing on your own)

Research

• Ask yourself, “What am I trying to achieve and why?”
• “What standards apply to this role? Am I being ambitious and realistic?”
• “Who am I negotiating with and what do they need?”

Rehearse

• Visualize the conversation
• Ask yourself, “What could happen and how do I want to respond?”
• Keep in mind this quote from Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” 👊🏼
• So! Create a written agenda for yourself so you can listen more to the other person and understand what they’re saying. This will allow you to navigate the conversation with greater ease.

Phase 2: Engagement (i.e. you, engaging with your manager)

Review

• Right after the negotiation, review your agenda (the one you created when rehearsing above 👆🏼) and fill in your observations.
• Write down everything you remember from the negotiation.
• Ask yourself, “What did I notice?”
• “What did we agree on?”
• “What observations can I make about my manager? Did they engage more on some topics vs. others?”
• “What follow-up questions do I have and want to pursue?”
• “Is a recap or follow-up message needed?” If so, draft that message and send it.

To make it easy and efficient for you to prepare, I created a handy-dandy worksheet with all these questions AND my secret question that makes asking for more money a breeze! 👈🏼 One of my clients earned herself another $5,000 a year simply by asking it!

If you download it and use it, send me an email! I’d love to hear what results it created for you. 🤗