Here are seven things to avoid when you’re negotiating salary:
1.The “more” word.
Avoid saying “more”. For instance, don’t say “I need more money”. Do your market research and let the hiring manger know that you know what the industry norms are for the salary scale of a person of your position, education, training and experience, in a particular location. Don’t say “I want more salary”. Be concise and specific about what you’re expecting and what figure you’re comfortable with. Don’t be ambiguous and give the hiring manager unnecessary leeway in the negotiation process.
2. Sharing personal issues.
Avoid saying things like “this doesn’t cover my expenses”, “I can’t live on this salary”, etc. Don’t get emotional and bring personal rants into negotiations. Don’t over-share about budget, student debts, loans, rent, car payments and other living expenses. It is best to keep professional boundaries. Negotiation is about the worker’s merit and the job fit. So, rather emphasise the value you’d bring to the company.
3. Sharing your current or last-drawn salary.
This one is tricky, as most hiring manager ask about your current / last-drawn salary in the initial stages of recruiting. To deal with this, it’s best to ask the hiring managers what is their budget for the role or the salary range they offer for the position. It is a good strategy to let the employer offer the first number and avoid naming your price. Ask them questions about the job and duties to make a proper estimate of your expected or desired salary before giving them any quote. Disclosing your salary figure can also be self-sabotaging, in case the company was planning to give a higher offer.
4. Negative words.
Avoid using negative words such as “no” or “this doesn’t work for me”, etc. Instead, tell them what would. Salary negotiation is a collaborative process. Using positive language helps to be seen as persuasive and pleasant rather than aggressive and close-minded. Be flexible and leave room for discussion. Saying “no” quickly closes the conversation and doors.
5. Apologising.
Don’t say “I hate to ask”, “I’m sorry to ask”, etc. Don’t apologize for negotiating. You have nothing to be sorry about. After all, it is your right as an employee to get paid what your work is worth.
6. Uncertain words and phrases.
Don’t use uncertain words and phrases such as “I don’t know”, “maybe”, “I’m not sure”, etc. If you sound unsure or clueless, the hiring manager can leverage that information to their advantage. Don’t leave things to their imagination or convenience.
7. Leaving things for later.
Avoid accepting a job offer if any of the employment / salary terms are to be decided later or in the next appraisal process. Try to get all the best possible results during the negotiating stage itself when you have better bargaining power and latitude than after you have joined the job. Think not only in terms of salary, but also signing and target bonus, flexible work schedule, paid vacation time, health insurance, and any other additional benefits.
When negotiating salary, it is vital to view the interviewer as a partner and not an adversary in the discussion, to reach a mutually agreeable figure. They need your services as much as you need the job and money. This will help you to mentally relax and be more confident. So, remember to be direct, firm and polite in your next salary negotiation meeting.
Meetings are a mainstay of modern workplace communication, and for good reason. Done right, meetings aid collaboration, creativity, innovation, and inclusivity among teams. A study1 by ResearchGate reveals that over 50% of respondents considered their meetings productive and only 15% complained about them being a waste of time.
Yet, many of us hear superiors say, “If you’re invited to a meeting, we expect you to speak up. Don’t wait for someone to ask you.”
So, when you can’t find your voice in a meeting or if you’re getting interrupted too often when you try to speak, here are a few ways to make yourself heard in meetings.
7 Ways to Make Your Voice Heard in Meetings.
1.Do your research beforehand.
Walking into a meeting with no idea about its purpose or agenda is like going to war without guns. It’s imperative that you study the agenda before the meeting and arm yourself with ideas, questions and suggestions. If there are topics on the agenda that you can contribute to, convey the same to the host in advance and request that they set aside a few minutes in the meeting for you to speak. And if public speaking gets the best of you, practice your speech before the meeting with a friend or a trusted colleague, and invite questions and suggestions. Remember, practice makes perfect.
2.Arrive early to a meeting.
Reach the meeting room 10-15 minutes ahead of time and start conversations with those who are already present. It’s astonishing how even experienced people shy away from contributing in meetings because they fear what others will think of them. Being assertive in your communication with attendees gets easier if you’ve already spoken to them and built a rapport before the meeting. And if small talk is not your thing, just pull out the agenda and ask for someone’s opinion.
3.Consider questions as contributions.
Questions spark curiosity, curiosity creates ideas, and ideas lead to innovation. So never hesitate to stand up in a meeting and ask your questions. But don’t ever use questions to draw attention towards you. If your question doesn’t have merit, you’re only wasting your and your entire team’s time—a crime too grave to commit when everyone is already pressed for time. Don’t have questions but want to contribute? Make your voice heard by answering questions or summarizing the meeting based on your understanding.
4.Make sure your ideas get the attention they deserve.
When you’ve finally won attention in the meeting, hold the floor until you’ve made your point. Sometimes, even though you’ve made an important contribution, another attendee might think that they’ve come up with an idea of a lifetime and your idea will get lost under their enthusiasm. To avoid this, right after you make your point, engage others in a conversation by asking them “Do you think we can work with this idea?”, or “How can we make this work for your team as well?” to make sure your idea gets the attention it deserves.
And if someone interrupts, politely tell them that you’d like to hear their opinion but have just two more points to make. After you’ve completed your dialogue, remember to ask the person what they were saying.
5.Respond in agreement or disagreement.
If you agree to a point, ensure you voice your agreement with facts or reasons for the same. And if you disagree, speak up and explain why. Never apologize for disagreeing with someone, instead be assertive in your communication without being disrespectful.
Avoid starting with phrases like “I’m sorry but I think…” or “I don’t want to interrupt, but…” and start with these:
● In my opinion, we have a better solution if we….
● I understand Sheetal’s point, but that could lead to…
● I see it differently because…
6.Ask yourself why you want to contribute.
You either have something important to say that will change the course of the meeting, or you’re worried that you’ll be at the receiving end of the “If you’re invited to a meeting, we expect you to speak up.” comment.
If your contribution is driven by the latter, begin by asking yourself why you care about your role, your organization and the project at hand. Answering these questions will help you develop a sense of connection to your work, so you can find new ways to contribute instead of just making your presence felt.
7.Leave your emotions at the door.
People complain that they get “shut off” or “spoken over” in meetings. The only way to get past this is to leave your emotions at the door before a meeting. If you’re being spoken over, or when your idea isn’t being accepted like you wish it to be, staying in a neutral emotional state will help you cope with the feedback. If you have an important point to make that was interrupted, stand up and assert it; if it wasn’t, let it pass. Remember, the point of the meeting is to find solutions to a problem, and not to hear you out.
Making yourself heard in meetings can be tricky, especially when you’re stuck in a workplace that doesn’t notice your contributions. Give these suggestions a go, practice ways to be more assertive in your communication, and you’ll soon find it easy to be heard in meeting