Low salary offers can sometimes frustrate candidates who are applying for different open positions. However, individuals can negotiate for a higher wage using the right set of skills and impressive tactics. If you’re hoping to negotiate a low salary offer, it’s important to understand why a company might be presenting it and how to approach the discussion of increasing it. In this article, we discuss what a low salary offer is and how to respond to one using a list of steps and helpful tips.
- Ask for time. …
- Understand your minimum acceptable salary. …
- Conduct research. …
- Make a plan. …
- Practice negotiations. …
- Show enthusiasm. …
- Negotiate for early performance reviews. …
- Focus on your skills and expertise.
How to Negotiate a Lowball Salary Offer
Focus on your skills and expertise
Focusing on your skills and expertise while talking about your salary can help companies see how you can be a major asset to their productivity. Its also possible that a company might not have realized the extent of your occupational knowledge before offering you the position and wage. Mentioning additional experience or skills that you didnt get to discuss in the interview can help employers understand your value, which can encourage them to find a suitable salary for your needs.
How to respond to a low salary offer
Here is a list of steps on how to respond to a low salary offer:
Practice negotiations
Practicing negotiations is a great way to prepare for a discussion with the company, and it can also help you understand the best way to approach them. When preparing, consider creating a script to help you craft exactly what you want to say and help you avoid making any mistakes during the actual negotiations.
Its also beneficial to practice the script with family or friends and ask for their feedback. They can tell you if the approach is too inconsiderate, not direct enough or if it requires additional evidence. Knowing this information, you can make the necessary adjustments to help you negotiate more effectively.
Conduct research
Conducting research on the company and current market can help you better prepare for salary negotiations. After receiving your salary offer, consider searching online to see if you can find what the company normally pays for the position youre interested in. If you discover the company is offering you more than the average, you know the negotiations might be a little more challenging. If you see theyre paying you less, you have evidence to help you when discussing a higher wage.
Researching the market is also important because it can help you see what other companies and organizations pay employees for the same position. Understanding the average salary for the job youre pursuing can help you know if the salary the company offered you is objectively low and provide you with additional support when negotiating.
Should You Accept a Lowball Job Offer?
You should not accept a lowball job offer without first trying to negotiate. You’ll never know if the company could have offered more money if you don’t ask.
By negotiating politely, with data and research to back up your request, you’ll ensure that you get the most out of each job offer without upsetting the employer.
You can also walk away if you’re not satisfied with the salary after attempting to negotiate, but there’s lots to gain and no harm in asking for a higher salary first.
Later in this article, I’ll share word-for-word letter/email examples you can use to respond to and negotiate over a lowball offer.
Ask for Some Time
It’s important to get back to the hiring manager quickly, but don’t begin your salary negotiation quite yet. Deciding how to respond to a low salary offer takes time, planning, and a little bit of research if you want to be successful. Simply say thank you for the offer, but that you need some time to think about it. Make sure you give a timeframe (two to three days is a good guideline) for when you will have your official answer, and ask for the offer in writing if you don’t already have it.
“Thank you for getting in touch! I’m excited to review the details when I receive the written offer. The salary is a bit lower than I was expecting, so I’ll need a few days to see if I can make it work.”
[ 1 ] Don’t underestimate the importance of likability.
This sounds basic, but it’s crucial: People are going to fight for you only if they like you. Anything you do in a negotiation that makes you less likable reduces the chances that the other side will work to get you a better offer. This is about more than being polite; it’s about managing some inevitable tensions in negotiation, such as asking for what you deserve without seeming greedy, pointing out deficiencies in the offer without seeming petty, and being persistent without being a nuisance. Negotiators can typically avoid these pitfalls by evaluating (for example, in practice interviews with friends) how others are likely to perceive their approach.
FAQ
How do you respond if salary offer is too low?
How do you respond to a lowball salary?
- Ask for more time to think about the offer. …
- Negotiate for a higher salary. …
- Consider the company’s overall package. …
- Negotiate for more benefits. …
- Create a plan for performance reviews. …
- Don’t be afraid to walk away.
How do you respond to a low salary offer email template?
How do you respond to salary offer negotiation?
