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How To Counter Offer Salary: Best Practices To Try

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Asking for a salary increase once you are already in a job can be a very awkward task.

You have to wait for the perfect timing, be confident that you are fit for the raise, and know that you are able to communicate well with your boss.

Also, if you are new to a company sometimes you can feel like you have to put a good amount of time in before you are due a raise.

All of these reasons highlight the importance of getting the best deal you can with your salary before you start a new position.

However, this can be a daunting task, especially if your search for a job that is willing to take you on has taken a long time, and you do not want to waste all your effort.

The Main Reason for Counter-Offering a Salary

In spite of this, countering your salary will let your boss know that you are not a pushover and are willing to put in the extra effort. 

Countering your salary is especially worth doing if you have been given a good amount of time to accept your job offer as you are being given a window of time to put together the best counter offer you can.

But knowing how to do this as well as you can is a difficult task and varies a lot depending on the job you are applying for.

However, there are some more general tips that can be applied in any industry and are worth knowing before you make a counteroffer.

How to Counter Offer Salary: An Overview

Best practices for counter-offering a salary include:

  • Be Confident In What You Are Asking For
  • Be Persuasive
  • Consider Perks And Potential Benefits
  • Perfect Your Delivery

Let’s talk about each in detail below.

Be Confident In What You Are Asking For

The best way to be confident you are in a position to be asking for a higher salary than the initial offer is to know the salary which similar positions are being offered by other companies. 

If you know that the same position or one that is very similar is being offered even just a small amount more than your offer it is worth pointing out as just a small difference can make a massive impact.

And if you see you are being significantly underpaid it is a good indicator of how appreciated you will be in the potential job position.

This stage is extremely important if you are working in a more in-demand industry where workers at your skill level are limited.

 A massive part of counter-offering is knowing your worth and being confident in it.

If you have evidence that you are not being paid to an acceptable standard, your employer will have a difficult time rejecting your offer.

Be Persuasive

Make sure your employer knows why you in particular deserve a higher salary.

While they have already hired you because they know you will be a good worker, remind them of what unique skills and traits you have that will make you an indispensable part of their team.

If you can persuade them that you are worth the extra pay they will likely believe you and be willing. 

Knowing what makes you unique is key to getting the extra pay you deserve.

If you have a very niche experience that you know most other people will not, emphasize this.

If you know that you have had a previous position that will greatly help you in the one you are going into, remind them of this.

You have been offered the job for a reason, so knowing these reasons, and reminding them of your worth is of the utmost importance.

While emphasizing your previous experience is incredibly important, make sure to remain wholly truthful.

Exaggeration can be helpful, but if you get caught in a lie, you can see all the effort you have put into securing a position quickly disappear.

Consider Perks And Potential Benefits

Oftentimes the person in charge of hiring you may not have the ability to give you a simple salary increase, and while this can be frustrating, you need to keep in mind the other benefits you can be offered.

Depending on the position you are going for this can take a large variety of different forms.

For example, you can be offered more vacation days or more flexible hours to make the job fit your schedule better than others would.

Some businesses can offer discounts or perks when it comes to specific products, brands, or services, so keep this in mind when you are asking for a position because if these are of use to you, you can use them to your advantage. 

If you know there is no more room in your employer’s budget for an increased salary, other benefits can make a job a lot more fitting and beneficial for you.

Perfect Your Delivery

This tip is dependent on the way you are communicating with your employer.

If all your communication is in meeting either in person or online you will need to be able to portray calm confidence when requesting an increased salary.

How To Counter Offer Salary (1)

It is very easy for someone to reject you if they can see that you are not confident in your request.

If the request is in writing like an email, make sure to study examples within your industry of people asking for increased salary, so you know what to base your request on.

Communication in this method gives you the privilege of complete control over your wording and tone so take advantage of this!

Takeaway

So these are some key tips to keep in mind when counter-offering your potential salary.

Make sure to take advantage of the fact that you are not tied to the position already and that you have the power to accept or walk away at any given time.

An important part of this process that is not mentioned in these tips is to know when to give up and accept an offer.

If you have been given an increase, and you want more, know when it is appropriate to stop, and if your request has been rejected, know when you should accept this or look for other positions!

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