4 Steps To Negotiating A Promotion or Pay Increase
I had, had enough.
It was clear that I needed to start earning my worth and then some at work, so, I decided to have the conversation I had been putting off for months.
You know the conversation. That single conversation with my boss which could either get me what I wanted or leave me where I was, or worse, looking for a new job.
Hi, my name is Bukola Seun-Oloruntuga or Coach BSO for short and in this article, I’m going to walk you through the four deliberate steps I took to get my own promotion and pay increase!
Step 1: Develop Yourself
The goal is to begin by assuming that you are a product and that the service you deliver is the value you bring to your employer.
When you start with that premise, you realize that you can't expect to earn any more value by staying at the same skill level.
Consider this: the only reason you're willing to pay more for a different version or model of the same product is that you expect to get more value.
Or, better yet, that the manufacturer has enhanced the product such that you expect to get more value (improved efficiency and perhaps more tools and options) for the value (money) you're about to give.
Similarly, if you are not providing more value to your employer because you do not have the capacity (skill) to give more, you will not be able to earn more (a raise).
So, before you ask for a raise, make sure you have more to offer and have been adding value to your company, giving you the right to do so.
Step 2: Develop Others
The goal is to use your leadership skills to help everyone around you reach their full potential. Think about it like this: to earn a promotion, you must start to act as if you already have it. For instance, if you want to be a team leader, begin to act like one.
Make yourself available for tasks outside of your job description. Offer to coordinate projects and tasks. And while you're at it, make sure you use mentorship and coaching to influence your team to achieve the desired outcome. Simply put, help them become the best versions of themselves.
When you can effectively and efficiently lead your team, you usually open the door to more responsibilities within the organisation. The next logical step is for you to be given more responsibilities and to be able to put your skills to use at a higher level.
Guess what that means? Your guess is as good as mine. Promotion!
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Step 3: Be Indispensable
I know you have heard it said, "No one is indispensable." As much as I agree with that statement, I also think there are exceptions. One such exception is when a person becomes so valuable and integral to a company's success and bottom line that losing them would necessitate a significant amount of time and effort to replace them.
The objective here should not be for you to be the only one that can do what you currently do. Remember step two? The goal should be for you to be the only one that can do it the way you do it.
In other words, you should become expendable in your current position while becoming indispensable to the organization. Essentially, your employer must feel compelled to retain you at all costs, even if that means paying you more.
Step 4: Ask For It!
Here’s the thing, ordinarily, you'd think if you nailed steps one, two, and three, the promotion and raise would be automatic. In my experience, sometimes it does, sometimes it does not.
If it happens automatically, fantastic! If it does not, as it did not in my case, please request it. As for me, after I nailed steps one, two, and three, all I got were compliments and high fives for a job well done. There were no recommendations for promotion or pay raises.
Rather than waiting for it to come, I simply asked for it. And I got it all.
The reason is simple: I had nailed steps one to three. So, it was easy to make management an offer they could not refuse.
Now, I bet you are wondering what that offer was. Well, let's just say, I helped my boss see how valuable I had become. Yes. Our conversation helped him realise that I had become poachable by competitors and that my exit from the company at the time would hurt the company's bottom line.
So, before you negotiate for that promotion and raise, make sure you have steps one to three in the bag and go straight for the jugular.
Lastly…
Remember, your goal should be to persuade your boss that giving you that raise, or promotion is a better option for the company than letting you go.
Happy Negotiations!
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Meet The Writer!
Hello! My name is Bukola Seun-Oloruntuga, a Nigerian, John Maxwell Team Certified Coach, Speaker and Trainer. I help young professionals to accelerate their career growth through my unique system of career coaching. My expertise includes self-discovery, goal setting, career mastery and leadership development. As a career coach, I use my unique blend of coaching and mentoring to help you become the best version of yourself. My pronouns are She/ Her/ Hers. Please connect with me on LinkedIn or at thecoachbso@gmail.com
