More Phrases to Postpone Salary Discussions
Here are some more ways to
postpone salary talk. The first two (namely, “Hell, don’t made no
diffr’nce…” and “throw us off track…”) are just about the same as the
versions in the book, Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute.
Then there are three others that are new.
Employers often ask about money early--well
before it serves you to discuss it. What do you do?
If you discuss money too soon, you run the
risk of being:
1) Screened out as "unaffordable" if you
want too much.
2) Judged to be a "lightweight" (and
possibly losing the job) if you ask for too little.
3) Boxed into a low salary.
Here's how to prepare yourself.
Choose two or three phrases from the article.
Practice saying them to a friend to anchor that assertive feeling in your
body. Otherwise, you might wilt in the heat of the job interview.
The phrases you choose should be compatible
with your personality and style.
Example: A crusty, shoot-from-the-hip fellow
was facing a pay cut after his employer, a company that paid high salaries,
closed.
When he was asked about what he was paid at
his last job, he looked the employer in the eye and said, "Hell, don't make
no differ’nce what I wuz a-makn’ before. It's what you're gonna to pay me
that counts, ain't it?"
Example: A shy, but charming young woman, who
had been very underpaid in her last job, was asked what she was being paid.
She replied sweetly, "I know you want to know
if you can afford me, but I find that discussing salary this early throws us
off track. I can assure you I won't ask for anything outside of my market
value, but what interests me most right now is how can I help you here? Is
this job a good fit? Could we discuss that?"
The employer agreed, and she wrapped him
around her little finger and got the job-without having to discuss salary.
You might also say, "It's difficult to talk
about money until I have a good idea of the responsibilities of the job."
Fair enough! After all, if they just want you to answer the phones, that's
one salary range. If they want you to manage a department of 25 people, and
be on call 24/7, well, that's another salary range.
The main idea to get across is that money
won't be an issue. You might say, "I'm sure you pay fair salaries, don't
you?" What can they say? Oh course we do!
Another phrase that works well is, "I'm
looking to fit into your salary structure."
If they press the issue, you might say, "I'm
really uncomfortable talking about salary at this point. I'm excited about
this job, and I don't want to be screened out because I'm making too much or
I'm making too little. Can we talk about the job? If the job is a good
fit, I'm sure the money will handle itself."
For more about this, see Negotiating Your
Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute, Chapter five.
