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7 Things You Should Never Say in a Salary Negotiation

And What to Say Instead

Sven Bunkus
3 min readJul 19, 2024
Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash

Don’t let negotiating your salary be a nerve-wracking experience.

You must ensure you are compensated fairly, and you can do it confidently.

I’m going to show you seven phrases to avoid and explore better alternatives to navigate these conversations with ease.

First, never say: “That sounds good to me!”

Don’t be tempted to accept the initial offer.

You’ll often leave money on the table that way.

Employers expect you to negotiate.

Say this instead: X is a great starting point. I was looking for something closer to Y. Let’s work together to get closer to that number.

Second, don’t say: “I’m going to negotiate.”

You should always assume there’s room to negotiate.

This shows you know your worth.

Say: “My market research shows the going rate for my position is between X and Y. As a top performer, I expect to be paid at the top end of that range.”

Third, don’t say: “I hate to ask for more, but I think I deserve it.”

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