3 Salary Negotiating Tips You Can Learn From Kids

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Most kids know they have to be tactful and bring up requests at the right time. Read on to find out what kids can teach you about scoring a higher salary. 

Kids are the best negotiators. Think about it — they don’t have much power to influence the world around them to get what they want. So instead, they lean into their negotiating skills to convince adults to give them what they want, be it a delayed bedtime, a little more screen time, or pizza for dinner.

As my kids have gotten older, they’ve developed their negotiation skills even further, making logical arguments for why their dad may not entirely be correct in his thinking (I usually am, though).

This ability to gently persuade others can be applied to one of the most awkward types of negotiating many of us do — asking for a raise. Here’s how taking some negotiating tips from kids could improve your personal finances.

1. They wait for the right time

When my kids were younger, they would sometimes start making their birthday wishlist just one or two days after Christmas. They quickly learned that talking to Mom and Dad about more gifts after receiving plenty just days before wasn’t the best approach.

My kids are a little older now, and they’ve learned to be more patient, waiting for the right time to make their requests.

This same idea can be applied to asking for a raise. Even if the work you’ve done is worthy of a higher salary, blurting out your request at the wrong time could hurt your chances of getting it. Instead, suggest to your boss that you want to talk to them about your job and set up a time. Let them know what you want to discuss so they’re not caught off-guard when you make the request.

Also, consider the fact that most employers won’t give raises to workers who’ve been at their job for six months or less. You should also figure out when your company’s annual budget is set. You don’t want to ask for a raise a couple of weeks after the salary budgets have been decided for the upcoming fiscal year.

A little finesse in approaching the topic can show your boss that you respect their time and haven’t rushed into the request.

2. They come prepared

I sometimes hear my two sons discussing an upcoming request with each other in their room before they present it to me. I’ve always made a big effort to be approachable to my kids. Still, they’re naturally more cautious, so they prepare their arguments ahead of time and even decide who is the best person to make the request — which is often asking for more video game time.

In short, they come prepared. They know exactly what they want and the arguments for why it’s reasonable to make the request (e.g., it’s been days since they asked for additional video game time).

The same should be true for negotiating your salary. Your boss may or may not want to give you a raise, and even if they do, they might still need some solid reasons to justify using more money from the company budget to give to you.

To help convince them to up the amount deposited into your checking account, decide exactly what you’re asking for and have data to support your reasoning. Maybe you’ve taken on more responsibilities over the past few years without a bump in pay, or perhaps you manage a bigger team or have recently brought in large clients for your company.

Whatever your reasoning, prepare ahead of time to make your case.

3. They speak up

My kids have slowly learned this concept over time. I’ve tried to teach them that I can’t read their minds and that if there’s something they want, they can always come and ask for it.

While it may seem obvious to ask for a raise, you may be surprised to know that just 37% of workers in their current positions have asked for a raise, according to Payscale.

This can be harder for some people to do than others, so it’s worth considering what you might miss out on by not broaching the topic with your boss. Payscale says a staggering 70% of people who asked for a raise received one. So, the odds are very much in your favor.

My kids don’t get everything they want, but they get a lot by making their requests the right way. Most importantly, they’ve learned sitting quietly is the fastest way to not get what they want.

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