I talked to a potential coaching client today. They shared details about why they want to be paid more and as I asked questions, I realized they don’t have the leverage needed to get what they want.

Leverage is the power that one side of a negotiation has to influence the other side to move closer to their negotiating position. You have leverage when you deliver something of value that the other party wants or when you cause them to incur costs they do not want.

My potential client doesn’t have a skill set that is unique.
They are viewed as an expense and not as an employee who provides a high return to their employer for the cost of their labor.
They are looking for a new job and are getting interviews. This is a good thing because they can probably get more money via a job offer than from their current employer.
Their current employer is known for paying low wages and for not being willing to negotiate.

Before asking for a pay raise make sure you have leverage. If you don’t, you are wasting time and energy on a negotiation that won’t yield good results.

I didn’t offer to coach this client because of their situation. I did share a few tips on how they can develop leverage in the future.

#negotiation #leverage #paynegotiation #compensation #humanresoources #rewards