The Ask

OK you’ve done your assessment of the timing.

You’ve asked for the appointment.

You’ve laid out all the positives of what’s great about this company this organization while you like working there why you want to continue working there.

You’ve given your boss a one page memo showing that you really have given thought to this and that you respect his or her time that you’ve thought about how to make this organization more successful more profitable more fulfilling of its mission.

Now is the time where you have to ask for more money and I understand it doesn’t feel comfortable sometimes you might not enjoy it.

There’s the chance of rejection but you’re not going to get the raise otherwise.

So you’re going to have to ask for the money.

Now you need to do a little more due diligence you need to find out what are other people making in your industry and within your company and you got to be careful if you’re asking too many people in your company about what they make.

But you need to have some reasonable sense that what you’re asking for is in line with industry expectations and norms.

I wouldn’t necessarily make that your lead argument but you need a sense of what’s fair and what seems consistent with other people because no one’s paid in a complete vacuum.

So you’ve got to have a sense for that and then you need to ask for the raise.

And there’s some disagreement on this.

I believe that you should just tell the person what you want.

If you’re asking for a 20 or 30 percent raise that’s a lot but if you’ve made a clear cut case and how you’re adding value and how you’re bringing in more money to the organization or helping it with its mission your boss can always say That’s Ridiculous.

I’m only going to give you a 10 percent raise.

The problem with just saying I need a raise.

Your boss could say you know what.

You’re right.

I’m giving you a raise.

Shake hands.

You walk out the door and a month later you look at your paycheck and it’s a 1 percent raise and factoring in inflation sometimes your purchasing power could go down.

That’s no raise.

So I’m a big believer you should ask for a specific number when you ask.

It can’t be.

I’d like a 20 percent raise.

You can’t act like you’re doubting that you deserve the raise.

You have to look your boss right in the eye after you’ve stated all the positive state what you’re doing and say.

And that’s why I believe I deserve a 20 percent raise effective the new year or effective next month.

Then stop if your boss is silent.

Don’t fill up the space with.

Of course that’s too much I’ll take a lot left.

Just stop.

Smile.

Look relaxed.

You might be inside feeling nervous and turmoil I understand that but you need to express this without a shred of doubt in your face your body language.

You need to state it is just matter of fact you go to a car dealership to buy a Lexus or a Rolls Royce or a Mercedes or whatever your version is the car dealer will say it’s fifty nine thousand dollars.

He didn’t say it’s fifty nine thousand dollars but he want to pay 30 will take.

That’s not how it works.

They’ll state the price with authority.

So yeah there’s nothing arrogant there’s nothing angry your tone of voice can’t be you better give me 20 percent increase or I’m walking right now unless you really mean it.

Don’t threaten.

Don’t act impatient.

Don’t act nervous.

Don’t act uncomfortable.

It’s simply you’ve laid out the case and you would like and then mentioned it.

You know what you want.

You know what you hate.

You know what other people in your organization are getting paid.

Some of them and you know what other people in your industry are getting paid.

So make the case and make it confidently.

But you’ve got to ask and I believe you should be as specific as possible.

So right down now the percentage or the amount of money each one each month or each year that you want as an increase.