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8 Simple Steps for Getting a Raise

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It’s one of the hardest things to do, even when you know you’re worth more money: Ask for a raise. Pounds of self-help books and servers’ worth of online articles have been written about it, so we could be forgiven for thinking that it’s must be a pretty complicated goal to achieve.

Not so, says business consultant John Demartini. The key is to go into the conversation empowered — not entitled.

“You don’t get a raise because you have been there, because you have done this work for a period. You go in there because you have to produce a profit for a company,” Demartini explained in an interview with Patricia Lopez of ABC.

Do You Know What You're Worth?

He offers eight steps for proving that point:

1. Make a list of your contributions to the company.

2. Make a list of the “new accountabilities” you’ve fulfilled since your last raise.

3. Be clear about the raise you’re looking for. Have an idea in mind of the high end you can hope for and the low end that will still satisfy your needs.

4. Write down 30 benefits to the company for giving you the raise, and 30 drawbacks to not giving it to you.

5. Know who the decision-maker is. There’s no point in wasting your best persuasion on someone who isn’t empowered to boost your salary.

6. Be prepared for pushback. Think of which obstacles they might present, and how you can respond to them.

7. Rehearse ahead of time, so you feel comfortable in the discussion.

8. Look the part. As always, dress for the job and salary you want, not the one you have.

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(Photo Credit: Tax Credits/Flickr)

Jen Hubley Luckwaldt
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