Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” ~ George Elliot
Some of you may remember or notice that I did not make BS career advice last weekend and why. For those who don’t remember or don’t know, I did a bone marrow test to see if I’ve already spread non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I felt uncomfortable one day, and after that, I felt good.
The good news is that there is no. I can start radiation therapy as soon as possible (I was meeting with a document the next week and someone who has passed the radiation told me it was much easier than chemotherapy.
So, I’m back this week and hope to continue working weekly in an effort to find my next job.
7 Salary Negotiation Strategies Every Office Professional Should Use (but Not)
Honestly – good intentions are making most professionals uncomfortable. Even smart, capable people are not ready for these conversations or avoid them altogether.
But here is the fact: You don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate. Whether you are exploring new jobs or looking for a pay raise, these are seven negotiation strategies used in an office setting.
These are not heads. They are based on research, practical experience and common sense.
🎯1. Know who you want to convince
Is your salary conversation going with your boss or through HR? If it is HR, please talk to your manager first. They may not be able to control their budget, but they Will affect The result behind the scenes.
✅ Managers are often more aware of their salary decisions than people realize. 📚Source: Harvard Business Review
🗣2. Script your question – then practice
Don’t wings. Most people know their phone number but stumbled upon it to ask.
Avoid saying:
“I want to have a price of $60,000 to $70,000.” You’ll hear: “Let’s make $60,000.”
Instead, say:
“Based on my experience and the market, my goal is $68,000.”
Write it down. Say it out loud. rehearse. role play. Confidence is a muscle – build it before a conversation.
🧠3. Looking forward to their pushback
You are not negotiating in a vacuum. Think in advance:
-
What are their budget restrictions?
-
Are there any internal compensation equity issues?
-
Is timing a problem?
Prepare to respond directly:
“I know the timing is tight. But I contributed $40,000 to savings through process improvements, and it’s about how we reflect that.”
📅4. Appear like a professional – First impression is important
Whether in person or on Zoom, Don’t be sloppy, late or unprepared. Before mentioning salary, your professionalism sends a clear message to your value.
🧠 Studies show that people form their first impressions in milliseconds and are often difficult to change. 📚Source: Princeton Research, Willis and Todorov (2006)
💬5. Start with harmony, no need
Chatting is not fluff. It builds trust and softens the conversation that could have been high-stakes.
Smile. Ask a question. Reflect their tone. It means you are a person, not a transaction.
🤝Building rapport increases the possibility of collaborative negotiation outcomes. 📚Source: Stanford University School of Business
📈6. Back up your questions with real evidence
Don’t think they remember your achievements. With receipt:
-
KPI, you hit
-
Projects you lead
-
Recommendations from customers or peers
-
Positive evaluation or performance data
“I have led two initiatives over the past six months to reduce operating costs by 18%.
📊”Data beats opinion.” – Jeff Weiner, former CEO of LinkedIn
🔄7. Not just negotiate salary
If you can’t feel at ease with the basic salary, please expand the discussion. consider:
-
More PTO
-
Remote or hybrid flexibility
-
Professional Development Allowance
-
Sign or retain bonus
-
Commuter or parenting benefits
Negotiate multiple projects Create space for compromise And increase your chances of taking away something valuable.
📚Study shows that multiple negotiations lead to better results than single talks. Source: Harvard Negotiation Plan
💬The last sentence: Closed mouth will not be fed
Being a great employee doesn’t mean quiet. If you are waiting for recognition and rewards without talking, you are playing the wrong game.
“You missed 100% unshot footage.” – Wayne Gretzky (by Michael Scott)
💵Bonus: Know your value before asking
Use data to anchor your questions. Free tools to benchmark your market value:
-
Glassdoor Salary Explorer
-
Payscale salary research
-
Levels.fyi (especially for technology and company roles)
-
Talk to peers, mentors and former managers
What you can do now:
✅Script Your salary
✅Back it with 3 clear achievements
✅Check your market price
✅Practice loudly before your next conversation
ⓒThe Big Game Hunter Company in Asheville, North Carolina 2025
My coaching and content aims to help people find their next role faster than others. Whether it’s information I’m freely sharing here or elsewhere, the video courses, books and guides I’m continuing to offer podcasts (launched in November 2010, No BS job search advice broadcast More than 3,000 episodes), My YouTube channelcourses I create, books I write (on Amazon) or coaches I continue, people need help finding jobs and being successful.
After all, many layoff notices are still passing the feed. I encourage you to do something simple. Share their posts in your feed without expectation. Share mine because the information may help someone turn and help them land.
If you haven’t subscribed yet. Click the Like button. Comment. Do something to help other people who need to find a job, such as tagging people you know when you see a job that suits them.
Last week, I posted a lot of new content, including:
Brands of blue collar and other workers
8 Things You Do to Make Hiring Managers and Break Yourself
Better than through ATS applications
Put your hands in salary negotiations
Employment status summary: July 3, 2025
Tough interview questions: You have 10 minutes to impress me
If work and life are important to you
Your next job should be more than just salary
Resume and LinkedIn
They told me I did a great job, but I haven’t heard from them yet
What does leadership mean?
How to satisfy and engage the best performing employees
Interview error: Given the answer to the canned sound
What do employers want to hear when answering interview questions
No advertising most of the work
Master the job interview: Real-world strategies
The biggest mistake a hunter makes should not do this!
Should I follow up with a recruiter or a hiring manager?
A journey of layoffs
Take me through a while and you help someone a difficult problem
Don’t blow your follow-up after a long weekend!
AI Job Search Secret Recruiters Don’t Want You to Know!
Stop practicing with friends (but do it!)
What is the logic behind the script interview question?
Master LinkedIn Network and unlock your job search
How to deal with job refusal
perhaps…
How to hold an ICP meeting
Stuck in funk? (This is much easier than you think)
Negotiation counter
Find your tribe
Why don’t the recruiter contact me to view my LinkedIn profile?
Rejected? Quitting wasted time. Don’t reapply now!
Focus your LinkedIn profile around the job you want to get
Final job interview confidence hacker
Tough interview questions: You have 10 minutes to impress me
Sometimes it’s smart to compare
A lesson on the importance of preparation in a physical education course before an interview
add: My latest book was released last week: More than 50 Career Job Search Guide: Proven Technology to Overcome Age Bias and Boom in Today’s Job Market. It can be used on the Kindle, as a paperback and audiobook. Here are 15 books in my series of job search essentials on Amazon.
You are not finished yet. Your career is not a VHS tape in the streaming world. This may be a shortfall that modern teams need. However, each title screams that people in their fifties are too expensive, their way too much, or the risk of retirement. Does it sound familiar? This book handed you a step-by-step script written by helping thousands of people write for professionals like you, demonstrating that this experience is not an anchor, and it is evidence that you can solve their problems.
Most job search suggestions see you as a blank new graduate with no experience. You will gain decades of expertise, office political scar tissue and a hard-earned success instinct. Every chapter speaks your language – fast, practical, and free of fluff. No BS. Think of it as a personal trainer course that is suitable for you to carry with you.
This book is perfect for you if the following is
-
You are over 50, mastering a degree, and the market suddenly looks like an alien planet that hates you
-
You suspect your resume is screaming “Dinosaur!” in PDF format
-
You’re eager for strategies that are backed by recruiting and coaching insiders, rather than recycling blog tips
-
You refuse to set for “any job” and still want to challenge and inspire your job.
People hired me without BS job coach Because I found that work became easier. Although I do criticism of my resume, I do not write my resume. I leave it to those experts. I’m a person who actually helps thousands of people Find a job.
Arrange my free discovery phone number www.thebiggamehunter.us/schedule Discuss my coach. I won’t bite. . . At least not very hard.
Subscribe to BS-free job search advice On Spotify, Apple Podcast, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Every Monday, I release a new episode.
Become an insider of Jobsearch. Community and answer your questions, receive coaches from me, and access all my video courses, books and guides.
#begreat
Jeff Altman
Game Hunter
🔥 Career advice without a bachelor’s degree is that professionals like you can get direct, practical guidance without fluff.
🔔 subscription Keep labor searches, negotiations, etc.
👇Leave a comment: What is one thing you hope to be more difficult to negotiate?
