Get another offer, for the amount you want. It's a lot of work but it works, nearly every time. I doubled my salary once this way. Good luck -- it's the best way to show them you are truly "worth it" !

Whatever you think of Sheryl Sandberg her Lean In website has a 20 min video on salary negotiation taught by a Stanford negotiation prof. I thought it was really helpful. GL!!!

Anonymous wrote:Be very gracious and accepting about the outcome.

I had an assistant ask me for a raise once. I told her that I would consider it. I got back to her a few days later and happily told her that we would be able to give her x amount more. Her response? "that's really not that much."

I was FLOORED. It soured our relationship and I was never as happy with her after that, even though her performance continued to be strong.

So - go for it - and best of luck on the outcome - and be gracious about whatever it is!

I disagree. I'm in a senior position at my company and have been in both positions--as manager of employees seeking higher salaries and as the person seeking more money. You absolutely need to be professional in these exchanges, but you don't have to graciously accept the initial offer if you think it's inadequate.

Salary conversations are negotiations; you are not requesting a gift/favor. You are telling your boss that the quality of your work, your compensation relative to your internal/external peers, and/or your value to your organization justifies a higher salary. No firm is going to pay you more than they believe they have to, so if you believe the initial offer is inadequate, you should express that--again, professionally and appropriately.

Your boss can certainly say no, and if your boss is like PP, he/she might take it personally and hold it against you. But a good, professional boss will understand that you are advocating for yourself and will remember that a high-value employee is feeling underpaid.

I've asked for a raise and negotiated the initial offer up, as have people who report to me. We are all professionals who are highly valued by our organization, and all of our upward and downward relationships have remained extremely positive.

Good luck, OP!

My tactic was a bit harsher. I said I would quit if I wasnt promoted at end of year. They gave me 11% and a $30,000 bonus. It was OK I guess. I'd have preferred a bit more, but who wouldn't

Anonymous wrote:Be very gracious and accepting about the outcome.

I had an assistant ask me for a raise once. I told her that I would consider it. I got back to her a few days later and happily told her that we would be able to give her x amount more. Her response? "that's really not that much."

I was FLOORED. It soured our relationship and I was never as happy with her after that, even though her performance continued to be strong.

So - go for it - and best of luck on the outcome - and be gracious about whatever it is!

+1 same thing happened to me as a manager and i agree it changed our work dynamics. oh and the raise i gave was 4.5%, which i thought was reasonable.

Anonymous wrote:Be very gracious and accepting about the outcome.

I had an assistant ask me for a raise once. I told her that I would consider it. I got back to her a few days later and happily told her that we would be able to give her x amount more. Her response? "that's really not that much."

I was FLOORED. It soured our relationship and I was never as happy with her after that, even though her performance continued to be strong.

So - go for it - and best of luck on the outcome - and be gracious about whatever it is!

She was sour on the relationship before she asked -- which is why she asked.
If she graciously accepted and shut up, she would be stewing silently, and you'd never know why she quit 1 month later.
At least this way, she had let you know that she was disappointed.

Be very gracious and accepting about the outcome.

I had an assistant ask me for a raise once. I told her that I would consider it. I got back to her a few days later and happily told her that we would be able to give her x amount more. Her response? "that's really not that much."

I was FLOORED. It soured our relationship and I was never as happy with her after that, even though her performance continued to be strong.

So - go for it - and best of luck on the outcome - and be gracious about whatever it is!

Channel your inner Japanese person. They use silence as a negotiating tactic. I ask for a little more than I want, they say no, I say "I'm disappointed to hear that," and then just stare pleasantly at them. They eventually say, "We can't give you the $16k raise you asked for, but we CAN give you a $9k raise plus an extra week of vacation," at which point I say, "Thank you, I really appreciate it" and end the talk.

It works every time.

P.S. I have never done this with an actual Japanese person; it's entirely possible they'd catch on to my scheme.

I am about to ask for a raise, something that I have never done before. In my past job, raises were given annually based on merit (rating system; I worked for a large organization so raises were standardized). I am confident that my boss will agree to a raise but I am nervous about the actual asking...any advice? What worked for you? What did not work for you? Thanks- OP