YOU DID IT! You’ve just received an official offer letter from the person hiring you. The job search is over! NO more Ramen for dinner! There’s just one problem: They only offered you $68,000 instead of the 75K you need to not be poor. In order for this job you’re applying for to really meet your needs, pay your bills, stop eating Ramen, and live comfortably, you will need a minimum salary of $75,000.
At this point most creative professionals just say yes to less. The thrill of not being poor talks us into lowering our standards and so we perpetuate the cycle of low confidence and low standards in our lives. Many do this simply because they don’t realize they have the leverage or even permission to negotiate in this scenario, but I need you to know a small but powerful truth that has the potential to change your life…
Everything is negotiable.
EVERYTHING.
The reason we don’t get what we want is because we simply don’t ask or know that we even CAN ask.
When I was 17 I had a job selling CUTCO knives. I had to get up at 6am and literally grind all day selling knives to everyone I knew. It sucked, but it shaped me. I learned the power of “asking” from the guy training me to sell knives. He took me to Subway for lunch one day during a training session and did something crazy.
We walked in, ordered our sandwiches, and as we got towards the register to pay for them he looked at me and said, “watch this.” He then looked up at the manager with a smile and asked, “Hey I know it’s random but we’re really hungry. We love Subway. Could we have a couple free cookies to share, please?”
Without hesitation, the manager said, “Sure.” Just like that! BOOM! We got the free cookies and walked out dumbfounded. As we sat and ate he explained that you won’t always get a yes, but if you never ask for what you want you’ll never get anything. There’s a lot of people out there, like that Subway manager, who are willing to give you a yes.
To this day, whether it’s Chik-Fil-A with my kids or a business meeting with a tech founder, I have discovered that you can ask for anything you want. Sure, I get told NO a lot, but I also get some yeses. You will never get any yeses if you don’t risk the Nos!
Next time you go somewhere to order food, ask for something for free while you’re paying. Start with fries, or a juice box for your kids. Just see what happens. (I asked for free hash browns this morning and got turned down. I’ll get em next time!)
Asking is the hardest part of negotiation and once you overcome the fear of asking, it’s easy. Now that you know this powerful truth, keep a few things in mind before you go crazy and tell your future employer that you want 300K a year.