How to Effectively Negotiate Your Salary

alanalerch
Jun 10
4 min read

Updated: 20 minutes ago

Negotiating your salary doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. It’s not about confrontation—it’s about clarity, confidence, and knowing your worth. Whether you’re stepping into a new role or asking for a raise, this guide will help you navigate the process with purpose.

Career coach guiding a professional through salary negotiation tips

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1. Know Your Worth: Do Your Research

Salary research is the foundation of every confident negotiation.

Use trusted tools like Glassdoor, Payscale, and LinkedIn Salary to understand what the role typically pays in your industry and location
Look beyond base salary—consider bonuses, stock options, vacation, and benefits
Account for specialized experience, certifications, and leadership roles
Research what similar companies are offering in current job postings
Establish your personal salary range so you’re not caught off guard

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2. Prepare Your Case: Show Your Value

When it’s time to make the ask, you need more than confidence—you need evidence.

Compare your background directly with the job post
Are they asking for 10 years of experience? You bring 25. Say so.
Mirror their language and show exactly how you exceed each requirement
Highlight measurable achievements—cost savings, operational improvements, team leadership, or strategic initiatives
Emphasize any specialized skills or certifications that set you apart

Example: Framing the Ask with Clear Evidence

One client recently received an offer for a senior leadership role in global supply chain. Instead of simply asking for a higher salary, we reviewed the job description and mapped his experience line-by-line to highlight where he exceeded the requirements.

After a brief phone conversation with the hiring manager, he sent a follow-up email that outlined:

The role required 10+ years of experience—he brought over 25, including multi-country leadership roles
The posting asked for strategic planning and cross-functional execution—he led global transformation initiatives impacting logistics, procurement, and operations
The company sought experience with software implementation—he had rolled out enterprise systems across several international regions
The role emphasized people development—he had built and scaled global teams, created centers of excellence, and mentored high-potential leaders

By structuring his response this way, he gave the company everything they needed to justify the top of the salary range—without putting the burden on them to connect the dots.

Takeaway: Don’t assume the hiring team will recognize the depth of your value. Show it. Align your experience to their priorities and make your case easy to understand—and hard to refute.

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3. Practice the Salary Negotiation Conversation

The key to effective negotiation? Rehearsal.

Practice stating your number out loud
Role-play with a mentor or coach to handle objections
Record yourself to evaluate tone and delivery
Use STAR examples to back up your value
Follow up with an email summarizing your ask and the evidence behind it

Example: Structuring a Direct Ask with Evidence

"As we discussed, I bring over 20 years of experience in strategic operations, global supply chain, and enterprise software implementation. Based on my background and current market data, I’m targeting a base salary of $145,000. I’d like to briefly highlight how my experience aligns with and exceeds the role’s core requirements:"

Requirement: 10+ years of leadership in supply chain or operations
- Experience: 22 years leading global supply chain operations across North America, Europe, and Asia, including full P&L accountability and strategic planning
Requirement: Experience implementing enterprise software or ERP systems
- Experience: Led multi-region implementations of SAP S/4HANA and Oracle SCM Cloud, delivering a 28% increase in system efficiency and $4M in annual savings
Requirement: Ability to manage cross-functional teams
- Experience: Built and led high-performing cross-functional teams of up to 120 employees across procurement, logistics, IT, and manufacturing
Requirement: Proven results in process improvement and cost optimization
- Experience: Drove Lean Six Sigma initiatives that reduced production cycle time by 35% and improved supplier performance KPIs by 40%

"I’ll follow up with a written summary, but I appreciate your consideration as we work to find alignment. I’m excited about the opportunity and confident that my experience will create an immediate impact."

4. Timing Is Everything

When you negotiate matters just as much as how.

Set salary expectations early in the process, not after the offer
Ask about the salary range once mutual fit has been established
Don’t drop a big number at the end and expect no pushback
Use data to align expectations before you’re too far along

Suggested script:"I’m happy to share my expectations once we’ve confirmed fit—can you tell me what range is budgeted for this role?"

5. Stay Professional

Even if the negotiation doesn’t land exactly where you hoped, how you handle it matters.

Stay calm and confident
Be respectful and polite, even when advocating assertively
Express gratitude for the offer and the opportunity
Reiterate your interest in the role and team
Leave the door open for future adjustments or opportunities

Final Thoughts: Ask for What You’re Worth

Salary negotiation is one of the highest-leverage career skills you can learn. With preparation, practice, and the right tools—you can ask for more and get it.

Job Flight was designed for professionals like you: high-performing, experienced, and ready to move into roles that reflect your value. Combined with coaching from Change Raven, you’re not just applying—you’re negotiating with strategy.