Negotiating a pay raise

- In my line of work as a confidence trainer, how to ask for a pay rise is one of the questions that always comes up the most. And for me, it's also one of the most important. According to the World Economic Forum's 2021 Global Gender Gap Report, the time estimated to get pay equality has now increased by a generation. When it comes to negotiating pay, there's both that are very practical, but also a more philosophical consideration. I'll cover both in this video, but let me begin with the philosophical. When I was growing up, money was stressful. My parents would argue about it, and we definitely all felt as though money was, as the saying goes, the root of all evil. I learned that money and greed were linked, and as greed was bad, then so then must be money. Throughout my life, I prided myself on being kind, down to earth, and humble, qualities that felt like the antithesis of having money. Perhaps this is resonating with you, perhaps you too had or have ideas that money is bad, and wanting more then, is a negative trait. I was right there with you until it occurred to me that if good people have more of the world's wealth, then the world will become a better place. If more money is in the hands of women like you and me, then I firmly believe that this will have a positive impact for everyone. So the first lesson is to acknowledge that money isn't good or bad, it's what you do with it that counts. Understand that you may be holding onto some ideas around money that make you feel guilty or uncomfortable for wanting more. And I understand that, but I believe it is time for more women to stake our claim. Now onto the practical. Firstly, we want our requests to be objective and without emotional intensity. A brilliant way to do this is pretend you're negotiating on behalf of somebody else, try not to make it too personal. Ask yourself the question, how much should somebody doing this job, at this level, in this company, during this economic situation earn? From this perspective know with total clarity and conviction your value. If you're asking for more money, then make an incredibly compelling case for it, review the work you've done in the past and take a look at the value that you've added. Get testimonials from clients or peers about the quality of your work. If you can, consider your impact directly in terms of the business goals. Throughout this process of making a case for yourself, I want you to read through this information numerous times, and start to to let it sink in. Become unwaveringly aware, and black and white of the value that you bring. The reason this is so important is because confidence and conviction, they're neighbors. In order to confidently ask for more money, you have to deeply believe that you're worthy of it. The next step is to be clear and concise. I spent years doing stand-up comedy during which I learned a really valuable theory called Word Economy, and that is make sure that every single word counts. Because sometimes we can explain away a joke in layers of detail, and eventually the punch line will get lost in all the noise. It's exactly the same when we're negotiating a salary, prepare exactly what it is that you're going to say, make the request directly and then say nothing. Hold space, sit in some silence. Give time for the other person to think, and wait for their response. I get it, silence can be excruciating, especially if we're already nervous, but when it comes to negotiating it's a super close ally. Assertiveness doesn't necessarily live in our language, it also lives in our silence. Now, go and make a solid case for getting paid what you deserve.