List Of Helpful Words and Phrases To Use In Salary Negotiations

List Of Words and Phrases to Use in Salary Negotiations

“I am excited by the opportunity to work together.”

Too often, people think of salary negotiation as a battle. You, trying to get as much as you possibly can, versus your employer, trying to stay within budget.

Never engage in negotiation as an ultimatum — an either/or — but rather as a collaborative process. It should be viewed as a unique opportunity to create a compensation package that makes sense for both you and for them. Establish priorities as to what is most important to you and what items you are willing to trade off.

“Value”

Value refers to what you bring to your employer. From an employer’s perspective, each employee has to either (1) increase revenue, or (2) increase margin (ideally both). While probably not as compelling as the job market, if you can show to your employer how you are bringing ‘value’ to the company (in the form of increased revenue and/or increased margin), you can make a compelling case for a raise.

“Similarly situated employees“

Forget any advice you’ve received about not snooping into your coworkers’ salaries — it can be a powerful data point in negotiations. While you certainly don’t want to force any of your colleagues to disclose information they’re not comfortable sharing, you can use tools online to find out what they’re making, and therefore, whether or not you’re being fairly compensated.

“Based on my research…”

It’s only natural to see if you can get a higher salary than the one that you were offered, but it needs to be grounded in reality. Rather than just throwing out a number that you think sounds nice, you need to do your homework on what your skills are worth. This will provide a compelling case for your employer to compensate you accordingly.

“I would be more comfortable if…”

Blunt phrasing like “I need” or “I want” can be a turn-off to employers. But expressing your desired salary with this phrase is a collaborative way to let the recruiter or hiring manager know specifically what you’re looking for so they can focus on that dimension of your job offer.

Remember to thank your employer at the end of the discussion for taking time out of their busy schedule. It is the professional thing to do.

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