Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to ask for what you want.
For example, every year, job seekers give up hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost income because they fail to negotiate their starting salary.
I know – in “this economy” we should all be grateful just to have a job. But if you have a job offer from a new employer, don’t accept it until you’ve asked them the following 5-word question:
“Can you go any higher?”
If you’re being offered a job with a certain salary, before you say “Yes,” say: “Can you go any higher?”
What do you have to lose? Chances are they’re not going to rescind your job offer just because you asked for more money – and if they do, then you don’t want to work for them. Good companies don’t punish people for negotiating for what they’re worth.
This works for freelance work as well.
If you have a client who you’ve worked for in the past, and this client knows that you do good work, before you agree on the budget for your next project, say: “Can you go any higher?”
If they like your work and they know you’re reliable, chances are they’ll give you some more money. After all, it saves your client money to not have to go out and put a project out for bid every time they need help. It saves your client time to work with an established contractor who understands their business and their needs.
Workers have power – even in “this economy.” Don’t give it up too easily.
Five little words can make you thousands of dollars per year – hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your working life: “Can you go any higher?”
