Getting past ‘no’: Salary negotiations aren’t for the weak

You wanted that raise. You deserved that raise. But after you spent weeks documenting your worth to your company and mustering up the courage to ask your boss for more money, you were rejected with a quick, dismissive ‘no.’ So what do you do next?

Well, for starters, you don’t give up. After all, salespeople know that the first “no” is just the beginning of the sale. Show patience and persistence when you want an increase in your salary rather than giving up at the first sign of resistance.

However, don’t make requests that are simply unreasonable. And don’t let your emotions get in the way if you don’t immediately get the offer you’re seeking.

“First, get up off the canvas and get back in the fight,’’ says job expert James Nathan. “Negotiations aren’t personal. They’re about money and business and impact. And don’t forget that what you make doesn’t define you.”

Still, Nathan says that doesn’t mean you give up when you’re rejected. “This isn’t dating,” he says. “This is work. And in work, everything is on the table and everything you do that pertains to the company is on the table.”

If you’re negotiating for more money with a new employer and that company offers you a number in between what you

asked for and what was originally offered, carefully consider the offer — there’s no reason to jump on it without taking some time to mull it over. Deciding to accept a new job is a big, life-changing decision, and often takes careful planning to ensure everything relating to the job — schedule, pay, working situation and benefits — fits with your needs.

In the end, you will either need to politely pass on the job offer or make a commitment to join the company — and then dive into the work without any hard

feelings.

– Marco Buscaglia