One aspect of meaningful work is being compensated adequately for the work that you do. Whether you are currently in a practice having survived a lay off or negotiating for a new job, you are probably finding that raises are small or nonexistent and offers are lower than what you were used to. Even if you did not get all the money that you wanted, there are other perks that can be negotiated.
Don’t give up what is critical to you but find other ways to make the job more attractive. Now may be the time you actually negotiate work/life balance into your job! A firm needs people who are happy, energetic and enthusiastic to develop the business and do the work. Here are 10 ideas to help you to negotiate a really great offer.
1. Use your strengths. If the job description includes pieces that do not play to your strengths and you can see a way to show that the piece that you do want is important enough to be your primary responsibility, negotiate dropping the less attractive pieces. (You will need to show them that focusing on this piece is important to the company.)
2. New to the firm? Ask for an introduction from the firm leader or someone high enough up in the organization that can transmit power to you. This will make managing a team easier and will help you get the kinds of work you want.
3. Improve your performance through better resources. Ask for more people, more budget for your department/group, or other resources for you and your department/group to help you perform better, faster and more thoroughly.
4. Get customized hours for your situation. Ask for different hours than are normal for the organization. For example: Come in earlier and leave earlier. (This can help with work/life balance)
5. Increase the vacation time or get vacation when you need it. Ask for specific vacation dates (vacation during school vacations) or extra vacation time (4 weeks instead of 3). (This can help with work/life balance)
6. Set an objective that is important to the firm. Determine a time frame in which you could accomplish a key goal and ask for a bonus upon completion.
7. Telecommute from home full time or part time. Ask for the ability to telecommute a certain number of times during the week or month. (This can help with work/life balance)
8. Improve your skills. Think about becoming a “Thought Leader” or “Subject Matter Expert”. Look for possible training in skills where you want to develop expertise or ask for a tuition reimbursement plan if you want to pursue an advanced degree. Get the company to cover memberships to professional associations and subscriptions to professional and business magazines and newspapers.
9. Ask for a specific job title. If your firm puts value on a particular title, ask for that title.
10. If this is a new job for you, ask for a signing bonus. Add a signing bonus to a bonus on completion of the key goal may get you close to the salary you were asking for. Of course next year you’ll drop back to the salary but by then you can be looking for other ways to increase your salary.
Tag: Offer
The Unattractive Customer Offer – Why Do It?
It’s not rocket science, so why do so many retail companies disadvantage their existing customers with offers which don’t make logical, emotional or possibly even financial sense? Here are two examples of offers which I have received during the past 10 days.
While visiting the beautiful city of York with my wife, we noticed a retail clothing store called White Stuff. They sell a very attractive range of mid-price, unique design clothing for men and women. What I enjoy about this store’s approach to customer value and satisfaction is simple. They serve first – and earn second. How so?
Well, my wife and I first came across this store during a holiday in the Lake District. My wife wanted to purchase some clothes for her new job and she enjoyed browsing the unusual but very attractive designs. They had a sale on which was also a bonus for me! As my wife browsed, the store attendant gently offered to assist my wife if she would like. Politely declining the kind offer, my wife continued to browse. The attendant’s attention smoothly changed focus from my wife… to me!
‘You’re welcome to relax on the sofa if you wish sir’, and a half-second later continued, ‘or you can enjoy the range of gentlemen’s clothing over here’, gesturing towards where she wanted me to be. Buying!
I did notice a jumper which I would have liked to have bought, but the only size in store was too small for me. But, it wasn’t a lost cause. She picked up the phone and called their store 8 miles down the road. Yes, the sister store did have a larger jumper in store and they would deliver it to this store for 9am the next morning. ‘I’d be happy to arrange delivery for you sir… Shall I do that for you?’. How clever as well as professional! Why? Because this young lady had been so polite, gently helpful and discreet that I would have felt a little awkward rejecting her offer of help. Also, by accident or design, including the words ‘Shall I do that FOR YOU’? added a very personal slant. It’s the law of reciprocity in action. She was offering to be helpful to me, so I was compelled to return the favour.
Yes, we did buy and the whole experience was very positive. So, on to York. A different store location wise, but very similar in terms of offers. Unfortunately for me, there was no sale or discounts being advertised, but a genuinely friendly welcome from the female assistant was followed around 5 minutes later with an extended arm offering to hold the 3 shirts I had taken off the rack, while I continued to browse. The next offer? ‘I’ll put these in the changing room for you to try on when you’ve finished.’ How cool! In a very professional, non-pushy sense, there was little opportunity of me leaving the store without first trying on the items of clothing she had ‘kindly’ held for me.
Another offer, and a very subtle one at that was this. ‘I’ll give you an over the shoulder bag which is free of charge’. Nice gesture. Not that I ever pay for carrier bags in any store. My local health food store wants to charge ten pence for a carrier bag (apparently to help the environment and save the planet). All along, there I was thinking that they were just generating additional income from themselves because they were jumping on the bandwagon of being good corporate citizens. This is the health store that following ringing over £30 of goods through their cash till stated to me ‘And the carrier bag is ten pence…is this ok?’ My polite and assertive response? ‘Well, no actually it isn’t, I won’t be paying additional funds for the privilege of paying you good money for these goods’. Stunned silence followed until the gentleman advised me that it was ‘Company Policy’ to charge for bags. My polite and still assertive response? ‘Thank you for letting me know that, as I stated earlier, I won’t be paying YOUR COMPANY to make money off an environmental issue.’ When I asked whether the proceeds generated from every bag sale – and every customer’s blind compliance with their ‘Company Policy’ was donated to a charitable organisation his face changed…as did his manner. Guess who lost a customer?
Back to White Stuff. The offers they made were timely, beneficial for the customer, cost nothing but a few seconds of their time, generated rapport and an element of trust and were partnered with a high-quality product at a price I was willing to pay. How cool is that? Very cool I think!
Now let’s look at the other side. Last night I spotted an advert in the newspaper from my local hairdressing salon. The offer is detailed below, word for word as published.
MANAGER SPECIAL – CUT & BLOW DRY
NEW CLIENTS ONLY £40
SAVING YOU £15
What’s wrong with this offer? This SPECIAL offer? You guessed it! If you have never visited this salon and had your hair cut by the manager, you pay ONLY £40. Apparently, this SAVES YOU £15. Let’s think about this. If you’ve never had your hair cut by the Manager previously, you benefit from a perceived saving of £15. But, if you are a regular client of the Manager, YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE! How fair is that offer? In simple terms, if you’re a long-standing client who has helped this company grow their business, or at the very least, remain in business, you are penalised. Why? Because you are a loyal, existing client.
The acquisition of new clients is absolutely essential to any company. I understand this fully. But actively penalising existing clients and customers is potentially commercial suicide. So, if you are a consumer, be careful what offers you accept from organisations. If you are a business, you too need to think carefully before publishing well-meaning but potentially dangerous offers.
Benefits Small Online Business Programs Offer to Internet Business People
The online money making secret, is starting small. Even though you may be having lots of money to invest, it is always advisable to begin from down then make your way up. This will help you learn and gain experience on some of the best business programs to invest in. Small online business programs help you to get little hands on experience on how to promote your website or blog.
On the same note, the advantage of small online business ideas is that most of them are free to enroll. This then means you can start making money online without investing any cash. Considering that there are also internet marketing strategies like free advertising on classifieds or business directories, you can promote your internet business programs and get referrals/leads.
Testimonies exist of people who have become wealthy just because they discovered online money making secrets. If you follow these successful individuals history you will realize that most of them began small online business programs and made their way up. Today, some of them are considered internet business gurus.
Some ideas of small online business opportunities include affiliate marketing, taking surveys and data entry just to mention a few. The idea is to gain visibility in your market niche and this usually takes time. Article marketing is one proven strategy that internet marketing experts recommended. Though you may claim that this is not easy work, realize that nothing good comes without working hard.
Let today be the beginning of your journey towards financial freedom. Take your time and research on at least one internet business opportunity, and concentrate your efforts towards building on it. Within no time you will discover other vital tactics that would assist you build on your small online business.
To research and learn more strategic money making secrets and small business opportunities, visit the link in the resource box below.