22 february 2024, 16:21
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Salary negotiation is a delicate matter that often makes people feel uncomfortable. Imagine you’ve gotten a promotion or a new job offer, but the salary isn’t your desired level. On one hand, you don’t want to look unappreciative; on the other, you want your salary to reflect your standard. It’s necessary to know how to negotiate for what you want.
This article will show you how to negotiate salary via email. We’ll show a few sample salary negotiation emails that you can imitate to help you get your desired pay.
Why is salary negotiation important?
If you can’t negotiate for your desired salary, you’ll likely get underpaid compared to your peers. Fair compensation contributes to job satisfaction and performance; negotiation helps you get fair pay.
Employers expect new hires to negotiate compensation packages, so there’s no harm in aiming for higher pay. Knowing how to negotiate puts more money in your pockets and improves your quality of life.
What are salary negotiation emails?
It is an email you send to an employer requesting a compensation increase. It's usually sent after receiving a new job offer. You can also send it after being with a company for a considerable time (at least a year), requesting a salary increase from your existing employer.
Email is the ideal way to kickstart salary negotiations, as it saves you the stress and anxiety of face-to-face talk with your manager. The salary negotiation email outlines your qualifications and achievements and states your case for receiving higher pay. It's a sales pitch to convince the employer that you are worth a higher monetary value.
What’s the ideal time to send salary negotiation emails?
The best time to send a salary negotiation email is after receiving a new job offer or getting a promotion at your existing company. Employers are more willing to entertain negotiations for a fresh hire or an existing employee getting promoted to a new role.
Negotiation always comes before formally accepting the job offer and signing a contract. Once you sign the contract with the initial salary offer, further negotiation is futile and will appear dishonest on your part.
What should be in a salary negotiation email?
An effective salary negotiation email should contain the following:
Greeting
The email should start with a greeting to indicate politeness and professionalism. You can write a quick greeting mentioning the manager or recruiter you’re conversing with. The greeting begins the salary negotiation email on a high note, which improves the chances of getting what you want.
Be clear about the subject
After the greeting comes the main message. Make it clear that the email is about salary negotiation. Don’t beat around the bush; the recipient should understand what your email is about from a glance.
Show appreciation
You should show your appreciation of the initial offer before making a counteroffer. Let the hiring manager know you’re thankful and excited about your new job prospects. Appreciation makes the recipient feel cheerful and more likely to respond.
Ask for your desired pay with rationale
At this point, you can ask the recruiter or manager for your desired salary structure. Acknowledge the initial offer, but politely explain that you have higher expectations. Your request should be backed by solid rationale; give clear reasons why you’re worth your desired pay. Reasons can include:
- Competition: You can convince an employer that you’re worth more money by pointing out what competitors pay for the same job role. If you have data on average salaries for your job position within the same vicinity, you can easily convince the employer to match what their competitors offer.
- Complementary skills: If you have relevant skills beyond the job description, you can convince employers that you’re worth higher pay. For example, an employer seeking a technical writer will be excited that you also have graphic design skills to create visual content. The extra skill must be relevant to the job; nobody cares if a technical writer is also a skilled dog trainer.
- Achievements: Cite your accomplishments to convince the employer that you’re worth more money. What impact did you leave at your previous company? Do you have proof of your impact, and can colleagues vouch for you? Evidence of past achievements can compel an employer to increase your salary.
Final Remarks
End the message with a positive tone, appreciating the manager for their time and expressing your willingness to negotiate your pay in line with the company’s budget.
Sign-off
Sign off your email on a positive note, e.g., “Cheers, [Name and Contact Information],” “Thank you for your time,” “I look forward to discussing more about this,” etc.
What you should not include in your salary negotiation email
These are the things to avoid when you send an email to negotiate salary:
- Negative tone: Avoid using words that express negativity. Even if the company's offer is well below your expectations, don't be rude. Simply state and justify your desire for a higher offer. There’s no need to appear hostile and potentially burn bridges with the employer.
- Personal details: Don't go into personal details about needing a higher salary. Recruiters don’t need to know about the bills you have to pay and what other financial issues you need to sort out. Keep things strictly professional.
- Badmouthing previous employers: Don’t say bad things about your previous employers to be on the good side of your potential new employer. It can reflect poorly on you and cause recruiters to think you’re a potential problem.
Sample salary negotiation emails
Here are some samples showing how to negotiate salary via email:
Negotiating salary for a new job position
Subject line: Senior Technical Writer Offer - Reply
Hi [Recruiter Name]
Thank you for extending an offer to join [Company Name] as a Senior Technical Writer. I'm thrilled about the opportunity to join your company and contribute to its success.
I believe I’m qualified for the position, given my previous experience and educational attainments. However, I'm not satisfied with the offered salary of $50,000 yearly. Based on my skills and experience, I believe $60,000 is a more appropriate pay.
My request for a higher salary is based on several considerations. First, market data indicates that the average salary for a Senior Technical Writer in [City Name] is $55,000 to $65,000.
Secondly, my skills not only match but exceed what was outlined in the job description. In addition to having advanced technical knowledge of the listed cloud computing technologies, I also have data analysis and graphic design experience, allowing me to interpret and visualize data in a way that’s easy to understand. I can break down overly complex data into simple bits a layman can understand.
Lastly, I have a proven track record of excellence in my previous job positions. At my last company, I contributed significantly to creating technical documentation from scratch and reducing customer support issues by 50%. I have frequently exceeded expectations, with recommendations from my managers to show for it.
I believe I can be a valuable asset to your company and would appreciate it if we could further discuss my request for higher pay.
Cheers,
[Your Name]
Negotiating salary for an internal transfer or promotion
Subject line: Promotion Offer - Feedback
Hi [Manager’s Name]
I am grateful for my promotion to the new role of Senior Technical Writer. I am excited about the new opportunity to contribute to our company's success and handle more leadership responsibilities.
Before finalizing the promotion details and signing a new contract, I would like to discuss my compensation for the new role. Based on my research, the average pay for a Senior Technical Writer in [City Name] is $55,000 to $65,000. Considering my skills and experience, I believe $60,000 would be an appropriate salary for my new position.
I appreciate you considering my request and will be happy to discuss it further to get a mutual agreement. I look forward to hearing from you.
Cheers,
[Your Name]
Negotiating salary after a performance review
Subject line: Performance Review - Reply
Hi [Manager’s Name]
I hope you’re having a great day.
I appreciate your feedback during my yearly performance review. I enjoy my job at [Company Name], and I’m happy to hear that I’m making positive contributions.
The projects I worked on this year were challenging but rewarding. They were crucial to our company’s success, motivating me to put in the work to achieve the required results.
Based on my excellent performance, as highlighted in the report, I would like to request a review of my current compensation. I’ve contributed significantly to the company’s growth according to my capabilities and helped reduce customer support complaints by a wide margin. I helped create internal documentation that has made work much smoother for our software development team.
Considering my accomplishments and continued commitment, I believe a salary of $55,000 to $60,000 would match my skills and experience. The requested amount is only slightly above my current salary of $50,000 and reflects the current market rate for a Senior Technical Writer in [City Name].
If a salary increase is unfeasible at this time, I would like to negotiate other benefits like remote work and additional vacation time.
I appreciate you considering my request. Please let me know if you want to discuss this matter further. I look forward to your feedback.
Best,
[Your Name]
Tips for writing effective salary negotiation emails
Here are general tips for writing effective salary negotiation emails:
Keep things simple
Your message should be clear and concise, beginning with the subject line. The recipient should know what the email is about from a quick view. Don’t beat around the bush; the message should focus solely on your desire for higher pay. It’s not the time to ask about organizational processes or other things.
Know your worth
Have a clear understanding of the amount of pay you can command. Consider your job position and its average salary. If you’re demanding significantly more than the average, there should be a clear justification. The idea is neither to undervalue yourself and lose money nor overvalue yourself and scare away employers.
Aim for high pay
A major issue with salary negotiations is that people fear asking for relatively high salaries. However, you shouldn’t be. Be confident enough to aim for a higher salary; the company can always counter with their offer if they feel that’s too high. You’re more likely to get good pay if you start your negotiations from a high ground. However, don’t aim for ridiculously high pay, or you risk alienating the employer.
Be specific
Aim for a specific figure or range and stay firm with your request, giving reasons why you’re worth your desired pay. Confidence is a vital negotiation tool; employers are more likely to provide what you want when you make it clear that you won’t go below your desired range. Lack of confidence is perceived as a weakness in salary negotiations.
Review your email
Cross-check your email for any errors before hitting the send button. You definitely don’t want to send a wrong salary figure and hamper your negotiating power. You also don’t want grammatical errors that make you look unprofessional and lazy. Always double-check your email and, if possible, ask other people to review it before sending it.
Other things to negotiate besides salary
You can negotiate many other things besides salary, such as:
- Signing bonus: Some companies give signing bonuses to new hires, with such bonuses refundable if you leave the company within a short period. You can negotiate for a higher bonus when joining a company.
- Remote work: You can negotiate about working remotely instead of being at the office daily. You can be fully remote or combine remote and office work (hybrid).
- Childcare and parental leave: New parents can negotiate a leave period designated for childcare activities.
- Equity/stock options: Some companies, usually technology firms, give employees shares or stock options representing ownership. You can negotiate your equity package when joining an employer.
- Retention bonus: You can negotiate to get a bonus if you stay with a company for a set time, e.g., 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, etc.
- Moving allowance: If you’re moving a long distance to your new job, you can request a one-time allowance for moving expenses.
- Certification and training: You can request an employer to pay for educational training and certifications related to your job.
- Paid time off (PTO): Employees can negotiate the paid vacation time allowed within a year.
FAQ
How can I prepare for face-to-face salary negotiations?
While we discuss the salary negotiation by email, a direct talk may often be a better option. In this case, start by being confident and bold enough to speak directly to the recruiter or hiring manager. Your tone and body language should express confidence even while you remain polite. You must also be prepared to give clear reasons justifying your demand for higher pay.
How much salary negotiation is ideal?
Typical negotiations are between 10% and 20% above the initial offer. This range is the most likely to yield positive results, although you can go above it if you have sufficient justification.
What are some salary negotiation traps to avoid?
The main trap to avoid falling into is the “take it or leave it” mentality. Some employers try to convince you that their offer is final, but the truth is that there’s likely room to negotiate higher pay.
Likewise, don’t be hasty to sign a job contract without understanding it deeply. If an employer tells you that the offer is “now or never,” it’s likely a trap.
