I struggled to negotiate higher pay early on in my career. My mentor taught me a simple trick to make it easier.
A career advice piece details the author's experience learning to negotiate salary by using the simple phrase, 'Can you do better?' The author explains how this technique helped overcome the fear of losing job offers during salary discussions.
Why it matters
Salary negotiation is a critical professional skill, and simple, actionable advice is highly relevant for career development and economic mobility.
The author learned a helpful trick to negotiate a higher salary. Courtesy of Lisa Kay Creative Photography I struggled to negotiate higher pay early on in my career. My mentor taught me to simply ask, "Can you do better?" instead of listing all the reasons why. That simple line has helped me negotiate higher pay throughout my 25-year career. When I was making a big jump from agency life to client-side work many years ago, I was elated by the offer. It was a higher base salary plus much more in an annual and long-term bonus plan. I discussed the offer with my mentor over dinner at a seafood restaurant on the Chicago River . "Never take the first offer," he insisted.
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