You Can Get That Raise By Lore Croghan Yes, you can get a raise. Take the initiative and make it happen. And don’t be deterred if there’ve been layoffs or other troubles. This is your moment to take on tough tasks – and be rewarded with higher pay, career consultants said. “Every company is looking for problem-solvers – and every company has problems,” said David Bowman, the CEO of TTG Consultants, a career and workplace expert. To come out a winner, schedule a sit-down with your boss – and be sure it’s long before the annual performance review, if your company does them. Do your homework beforehand, so you can argue your case well. Use this checklist to get organized:
When you meet with your boss, you’re going to say, “I’m entitled to a small percentage of these savings I’ve achieved/these revenues I’ve increased.” In your meeting with the boss, don’t refer to your own colleagues’ salaries, or tell your boss you want to be paid as much as he or she. This will put your boss on the defensive – and make you look too nosy for your own good. In your meeting with your boss, after you explain the good things you’ve done for the company, ask, “What do you think my raise should be?” Don’t name a specific figure. “He who names a number first, loses,” Bowman said. If the boss names a figure that is close to what you want, pause for 10 seconds and rub your chin or stroke your hair, like you’re thinking. Then say, “I hoped it would be …” and give a number that’s 1% higher.
Remember the message of former President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, Bowman said: “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” If you take that attitude in your work – and use it to shape your salary negotiations – a raise should be yours. Faces of success and failure Do: Sit up straight, make eye contact, and gesture each time you make a key point. Don’t: Slouch and cup your hands like a supplicant when you’re negotiating. #### Dave invites you to read other inspiring
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