Common salary negotiation fears and misconceptions

- I'm curious what emotions come up for you when you think about negotiating your salary? Are you nervous, afraid, anxious? If so, you're not alone. 99% of my clients felt this way as well, but like my clients, by the end of this course, you'll not only be prepared to negotiate your salary, but do it with confidence and excitement during a verbal offer. It may be tempting to just smile and accept the first offer that comes along. That's completely normal, and if the offer completely blows your mind, you can graciously accept. But in this course, I'll guide you through an easy three step journey to negotiate an offer if what's holding you back is the fear of asking for more. Let's review the most common misconceptions and fears surrounding salary. I want you to check to see if any of these feel familiar. Misconception number one, "I should just be grateful "because this is way more than I was previously making." Now, perhaps you're making an industry company location or role switch, and the new opportunity is paying you more than you've ever made in the past. It's great to celebrate this new salary bump and acknowledge that your last salary doesn't have anything to do with the new offer. So for example, one of my clients was a third grade teacher who was being paid around $40,000 a year, and she made a pivot into a learning and development specialist role for a tech company who offered $90,000 as a base salary. More than doubling her salary, she was tempted to just sign the dotted line, but with a three minute ask, she ended up with an additional $7,000 because that's what the role commanded in her market. Misconception number two, "I can't negotiate because I've been unemployed." So if you're in between jobs, you may feel as if you don't have bargaining power. You can still negotiate. Do not let your employment status determine your market rate. My client, Susan, was laid off and unemployed for over two years, tending to personal matters. And when she reentered the workforce, she landed a role that doubled her previous salary, and she still asked for more. In the end, she negotiated an additional $15,000 in her base salary as she possessed many of the preferred qualifications. All right, misconception number three, "I can't negotiate anymore "because we've already discussed salary "during the interview stages." The interview stages are preliminary discussions. Once you see the big picture by assessing the role's details, responsibilities, and total compensation package, employers will anticipate that you'll ask for adjustments. Later in this course, you'll learn how to do that without dismissing earlier conversations. All right, now that we've cleared up common misconceptions. Let's talk about the common fears that crop up in negotiations. So fear number one, "I'll be perceived as greedy if I ask for more." When it comes to salary negotiations, employers do not see professionals as greedy. You'll impress an employer when you advocate and negotiate on your behalf. Organizations want to hire employees who demonstrate leadership, communication, and problem solving skills. In fact, I've had hiring managers who actually questioned if they made the right hiring choice because the candidate did not negotiate. Plus, by the end, you'll learn how to tactfully ask and assure the employer made the right choice by hiring you. All right, fear number two, "The company will rescind the offer." I remember the first time I negotiated, I was so petrified they would move on to another candidate who was willing to work for less. I wish someone said to me in that moment, "Hey Emily, negotiations are a standard "and expected part of the hiring process. "The fact that you're at this stage "means they really like and they want you. "The company is willing to work with you "and hear your justified request." There is, of course, a strategic way to ask for a request, which we'll cover. For now, if you've negotiated in the past and had an offer rescinded, I would go through the rest of this course and reflect to objectively ask yourself, what can you do differently this time to get different results? Now, if you realize you asked tactfully and respectfully, and the company rescinded its offer, I'd get curious if you want to work for a company that doesn't allow you to advocate for yourself. In my years of hiring nearly 1,000 employees, I've only seen one offer rescinded, but it's because they were aggressive and demanding, which is the opposite of what you'll learn to do in this course. So what fears and misconceptions do you want to shatter today? By negotiating, you'll either confirm you have the best offer on the table, or you'll receive more money and benefits. Sounds like a win-win. It all starts with giving yourself permission to advocate for yourself.