How to Negotiate Salary Over the Phone
There are
many ways to negotiate salary, and some are better than others. One method that
has become popular in recent years is negotiating over the phone. This method
does not require you to meet face-to-face with the person with whom you're
negotiating, so it can be done from anywhere with an internet connection.
However, this method does require some preparation before you make your call.
If you're
interviewing for a new job and hoping to earn more money, it can be
intimidating to try and get that raise over the phone. But don't worry: as long
as you keep your cool and are prepared with specific examples of why you
deserve more money, it's possible to negotiate salary over the phone. Here are
some strategies that have worked for me in the past when asking for more money
during an interview:
Ask
if they have a salary range in mind before sharing your own.
1. When the conversation gets around to
salary, ask if they have a salary range in mind before sharing your own. This
will allow them to adjust their expectations if necessary and make it easier
for you to share your salary requirements without seeming too high or low.
2. If they don't have a range in mind, say
something like: "I'm happy to share my current salary with you, but it
would be helpful if we could set some parameters first." Then offer up a
range that's reasonable for your position and experience level—never go below
what you expect!
3. Once you've shared your current salary or
range of acceptable salaries, ask if there are other factors that might change
their number. For example: "The position requires X hours/week of travel
time each month; does that change anything?" Or: "This role requires
me to work with multiple teams across multiple locations; does that affect
things?"
4. Follow up with an email summarizing your
discussion—this way there can be no confusion later on about what you
discussed. And if you're not happy with the number they offered, ask for more
information and negotiate from there.
Let
them know you're interviewing with other companies, then stop talking.
You've done your research, you've found a new
job, and you're ready to negotiate. But first, one thing: Make sure you have at
least two other interviews lined up.
Why? When you negotiate salary over the
phone, it's important to be confident about what you're worth on the market. If
you don't know other companies are interested in hiring you, it's hard to
convince your potential employer that they need to meet your demands.
So before you make that call, do some
research on other jobs that are similar to yours and then make sure there are
real candidates out there who will be interviewing for them as well. Once they
know they're competing with other companies for your services—and that those
other companies could snatch you up if they don't meet your demands—they'll be
more likely to offer a higher salary right off the bat.
Talk
about how you'll go above and beyond the company's expectations.
If you are going to negotiate over the phone,
you have to be prepared.
You need to know what you want, and why. And
you need to know what the company has been hoping for in terms of your
performance.
If you're not sure what the company's goals
are in terms of your performance, ask them! They'll probably be happy to tell
you. If they aren't, that's a sign that they might not be a good fit for you.
Once you know what their expectations are,
figure out how far above and beyond those expectations you can go. For example:
"We want someone who can manage 20 projects at once. I've managed 35
projects at once."
If this is true (and if it isn't true, make
sure it is), then say something like "I've been managing projects for
years, and I'm confident I can manage at least 20 more with no problems."
This will show your potential employer that
not only do you have the skills they're looking for in an employee but also
that there's no end to the amount of work you can handle.
Once you've established that your skills are
a good fit for the job and that there's no end to your abilities, it's time to
start talking about what you can do for them.
Remind
them of what you bring to the company.
There's a lot to think about when negotiating
your salary. How much do you really need? What's an appropriate amount to ask
for? Is it worth it, in the end?
But one thing is easy: Remembering that you
bring something unique and valuable to the company.
When you're asking for something, it can be
easy to focus on what you need from them—a higher salary, more vacation days,
better benefits. But what about what you bring to their table?
The more value you bring to the company, the
more funds they'll have available for your salary. You should also consider
what will happen if they don't give you what you want: will they lose out on
your skillset? Will they have trouble hiring someone else with similar skills
who can fill your role?
Make sure that when negotiating salary, you
keep these points in mind: how important are your skillsets and experience? Do
they feel like they'd be able to replace those skills with someone else, or
would there be a significant gap in expertise if they let go of you?
.
Remain
calm, confident and really listen to what they say.
When you’re negotiating salary over the
phone, one of the most important things to remember is to remain calm,
confident and really listen to what they say. Here are some tips on how to do
that:
-Don’t be aggressive. If you’re too
aggressive, it will come across as angry or edgy. Keep your tone friendly and
relaxed
-Focus on what you want out of the
negotiation instead of focusing on how much money they can give you. For
example, if the company wants you to work 9-5 Monday through Friday but you
want flexible working hours, then instead of saying “I need flexible hours because
I have a family and it’s hard for me to get up so early in the morning” say “I
need flexible hours because that’s when I work best!
Know
your worth and don't sell yourself short.
You've done your homework and you know what
you're worth. You've got a great resume, a sparkling cover letter, and a
glowing recommendation from your last boss. The only thing missing is the
salary negotiation. It's time to pick up the phone and ask for more money!
Negotiating salary over the phone can be
intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Here are some tips for making sure you
get the most out of your call:
Know Your Worth. Before you make that call,
make sure you know exactly what you want to ask for in terms of salary—and
don't sell yourself short! When it comes to salary negotiations, people tend to
lowball themselves by 25% or more. Make sure your expectations are realistic
before you start talking numbers with anyone else.
Do Your Research. If possible, do some
research on what other people in similar roles at similar companies are making
before calling them up. Look online or talk to friends who work in similar
industries—they'll be able to give you an idea of how much someone with your
experience should be earning in this particular field/company setting (or elsewhere).
This will help keep things on track during the discussion so that neither party
feels like they're losing ground or getting taken advantage of
Keep
your cool and stay professional when asking for more money.
When you're on the phone with your boss to
negotiate salary, it's important to keep your cool and stay professional. Even
if you're excited about the possibility of a higher paycheck, don't let your
excitement show through in how you sound over the phone. If they can tell that
they have leverage against you because they know that getting another offer is
unlikely, then they'll be more likely to hold firm on their original offer.
You should also be prepared for questions and
specific requests from your potential employer at this point in negotiations
(more on those later). So take some time before the call happens and think
about what questions might come up so that you're ready with an answer when
asked. You should also consider what other needs or requests might come up
during the call (maybe asking for more vacation time), but try not to get too
demanding at this stage; instead just state what exactly it is that would make
working conditions better for yourself going forward into next year's contract
renewal cycle.
If after all of this has happened and
negotiations still aren't going anywhere—and especially if it seems like there
was no real interest in hiring someone new above existing talent levels—ask
again if there's any flexibility on salary numbers at all before concluding
things!
Conclusion
Remember, you’re not just negotiating salary
over the phone—you’re also interviewing for a job that could be the right fit
for years to come. Your attitude and approach will have a big impact on how
much you get paid. Remember that this is an opportunity to make sure your
potential employer values you as highly as you do them. Don't let nerves or
anxiety derail your negotiation; instead, keep calm, listen carefully and stay
focused on what's important to both parties in order to settle on a fair amount
of money!