This article shares everything you want to know about How to Ask for More Money Job Offer. Get steps, scripts, emails, tips, and more.
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How to Ask for More Money Job Offer: Scripts & Emails (2023)
You’ve just received a job offer! You’re excited but the base pay is low so you’re searching “How to ask for more money job offer” looking for answers.
Does this sound like you?
If so, you’re in luck! This easy-to-follow article provides you with steps, scripts, email templates, tips, and more to learn how to ask for more money from a job offer.
After reading this article, you will be able to confidently ask for, and negotiate for, more money. Soon you’ll be able to secure competitive base pay and other benefits and job perks that positively impact your income.
If you’re ready to learn how to ask for more money and to increase the value of your job offer, keep reading!
Do you want to maximize your job offer?
PayDestiny provides you tools to successfully ask for more money.
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How to Ask for More Money Job Offer
Asking for money after a job offer is a process. Once you learn the process with a little organization, research, and preparation you build your skills to successfully ask for, and get, more money.
Before we get into the steps of how to ask for more money let’s dive into what variables in a salary negotiation can get you more money. More money doesn’t always have to mean base pay. More money can also be things that positively impact your annual household earnings. Below is a list of things you can negotiate for in addition to base pay that will positively impact how much money you earn and have to spend.
How to ask for more money job offer (Things you can negotiate for that impact your household earnings):
- Additional paid vacation days
- Adoption and fertility support
- Base pay
- Bonuses
- Caregiver stipend (e.g. for child care or eldercare)
- Commissions
- Commuter stipend
- Health and wellness stipend
- New computer and office set-up stipend (e.g. new ergonomic standing desk and laptop)
- Phone stipend
- Professional attire stipend (e.g. You typically don’t take meetings and now have to attend a board meeting in a suit you will rarely use)
- Professional development stipend
- Profit sharing
- Relocation expenses
- Retirement savings contributions
- Severance pay
- Signing bonus
- Stock options
- Tuition reimbursement
- Work from home stipend
- Work day meal and snack stipend
Now that you have an idea of what you can negotiate for other than base pay, let’s dive into the steps to ask for more money after you receive a job offer.
How to ask for more money job offer (Steps):
- Research and know your value in the market
- Research and know your value to the company
- Remove fear by determining your Worst Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (WATNA)
- Set minimums and compensation goals
- Build your confidence by practicing what you’ll say
- Ask where the offer falls on the compa ratio scale for the position
- Confirm that the offer is negotiable
- Make your ask
- Get agreed to final details in writing
- Say thank you
1. Research and know your value in the market
The first step in asking for more money is to know your worth. Perform market research to see what similar companies, in the same industry, at the same stage, and in the city the company uses to benchmark pay are paying a person with your education, training, skills, experience, and track record of success to complete the job’s duties and responsibilities.
Build a list of quantified professional achievements that relate to the job’s duties and responsibilities. Use your list of achievements to assess how quickly you will begin to contribute in the new role, if you’ll need a lot or a little training, if you’ll add skills and/or specific expertise to the company that it doesn’t currently have, and how adding your talents to the company will increase the company’s outcome and overall value.
3. Remove fear by determining your Worst Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (WATNA)
To successfully ask for, and negotiate for, more money after receiving a job offer it’s important to remove fear of the unknown. This fear can hold you back from asking for and negotiating for what you’re worth. A tactic to remove fear is to determine your worst case scenario if asking for more money doesn’t go your way. This is formally referred to as determining your Worst Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (WATNA).
Here’s a few WATNA examples…
How to Ask for More Money Job Offer: WATNA (Example 1)
Your WATNA may be to accept the job because the base pay is still higher than your base pay minimum.
How to Ask for More Money Job Offer: WATNA (Example 2)
You have savings to cover up to six months of living expenses and can keep job searching without immediate financial stress.
Your WATNA may be to decline the offer because the base pay is lower than your base pay minimum and what the market is paying and you do not have a financial urgency to accept the job.
How to Ask for More Money Job Offer: WATNA (Example 3)
You have no savings, are financially stressed, and have no other job offers.
Your WATNA may be to accept the offer while continuing to “quietly” job search because it is financially urgent for you to generate income.
One of the things that causes salary negotiations to end poorly for a potential employee or current employee is when they find themselves internally battling with the question “What happens if they don’t grant me what I want?”
Not having a clear answer to this question results in rash actions. To successfully ask for more money after a job offer, determine and know your WATNA.
4. Set minimums and compensation goals
Once you know what the market is paying, what your value is to the company, and your personal WATNA set your acceptable base pay minimum and competitive base pay goal. In addition, consider the benefits and job perks you must-have and those that are nice-to-haves that you are willing to accept in a negotiation in lieu of base pay when there is no budget. Setting these metrics and defining your compensation goals will help guide you to successfully ask for more money and get it!
Once you know what you want and what your goals are, prepare to confidently ask for what you want. Practice what you’ll say either with PayDestiny’s personalized scripts and mock salary negotiations, aloud by yourself or with a friend or family member. Practice until you sound calm, confident, and professional to others (even if you feel the opposite inside).
Before opening a negotiation ask the employer “Where does this offer fall on the compa ratio for the position?”
This question formally asks the employer in HR terms “How does my job offer compare to median pay for the position?”
The employer’s response will tell you a lot about how the offer was put together and how much you are being offered in comparison to the median paid salary for the role. This information can help to reinforce your set minimums and compensation goals or help you to readjust them.
7. Confirm that the offer is negotiable
Before you start negotiating with an employer make sure to confirm that the offer is negotiable by asking “Is the offer negotiable?” Confirming that an offer is negotiable ensures that both you and the employer are on the same page.
You don’t want to end up in a situation where you ask for more money and the job offer isn’t negotiable or the employer presented the offer and forgot to state it was “Best and final.” In these situations asking for money without confirming that the offer is negotiable can be off putting to the employer and in very extreme cases result in a job offer being retracted.
8. Make your ask
Once you’ve confirmed that an offer is negotiable you’re ready, ask for a meeting with your potential employer to discuss the offer. During the meeting, state your case calmly and confidently, and make your ask.
If they counter-offer with a lower salary than you asked for, be prepared to negotiate. Remember, the goal is to come to an agreement that is fair for both parties and leaves you feeling good about the offer.
To hit your compensation goals be prepared to use your pre-determined must-haves and nice-to-haves to be flexible and achieve a win-win.
9. Get final agreed to details in writing
Once you reach an agreement make sure that every agreed to detail is in your Employee Offer Letter. If a detail is not in your Employee Offer Letter it does not need to be upheld. This is a very important step to successfully ask for, and receive more money, perks, and benefits, overtime.
Leadership in companies constantly changes. While your new boss may be upstanding and fulfill every promise you negotiated if they leave or are replaced by a new person, that individual has no legal obligation to ensure what you agreed to is upheld unless it is in your Employee Offer Letter. To ensure you consistently get the base pay, benefits, job perks, and other incentives you successfully negotiate for, make sure to get every detail (no matter how small) written into your Employee Offer Letter.
10. Say thank you
To successfully ask for more money after a job offer you want to say “Thank you” throughout the salary negotiation process and after you ask for more money no matter the outcome of your negotiation.
Saying thank you throughout the process makes you more likable and consequently more persuasive. Saying thank you at the end of a negotiation regardless of the outcome shows your level of professionalism and is something that the employer will remember.
How to ask for more money job offer (Tips):
To increase your chances of successfully asking for more money be sure to:
- Be calm
- Be confident (but not cocky)
- Be flexible without compromising your must-haves and base pay minimums
- Be friendly and personable
- Be prepared to walk away from an offer if it doesn’t meet your goal and if you can (based on your WATNA)
- Be professional
- Express gratitude throughout the process
- Not be emotional
- To have open body language (e.g. don’t fold or cross your arms)
- To listen intently and consider what the employer is saying
- Think about asking for more money as a collaboration between you and the employer
- Think about a win-win outcome
- Use market data and personal performance data to create a persuasive logical case
How to Ask for More Money Job Offer (Scripts)
Below are a few suggested scripts you can use to help you ask for more money when you receive a job offer.
How to ask for more money job offer: Open a negotiation (Script)
“Thank you for the offer!
I’m excited by the potential of joining the team.
I was wondering, is the offer negotiable? Would it be possible to arrange a meeting or call to discuss this further? ”
How to ask for more money job offer: Ask for more money (Script)
“I appreciate you being open to negotiating.
Based on my research of what companies in our industry, at the same stage, and in [Insert City] are paying someone with my skills, education, training, experience, and track record of success to perform the job’s duties and responsibilities, the offer is lower than I anticipated.
I would love to work with you to establish a market rate that reflects my experience. The market is currently paying [Insert specific counteroffer number] for someone with my track record of success.
The job requires [Insert duty]. [Insert list of quantified work accomplishments that relate to this job duty.]
The job also requires [Insert duty]. [Insert list of quantified work accomplishments that relate to this job duty.]
In addition, it requires [Insert duty]. [Insert list of quantified work accomplishments that relate to this job duty.]
A base pay of [Insert specific number] equitably reflects the value of my skills, education, training, and experience.
Can the company come up to [Insert specific counteroffer number]? If so, I can confirm that I can start on [Insert date].”
Whether you’re asking for more money in-person or via it is important to:
- Be gracious
- Communicate that you’ve done your research
- Counteroffer with a specific number, specific numbers increase your credibility (e.g. $67,842.00 comes across more credible and persuasive than $68,000.00 or a percentage)
- Communicate a desire to work together to determine equitable compensation
- Communicate your willingness and eagerness to get started by sharing a proposed start date
- Give the employer a reason to get back to you promptly by sharing a proposed start date
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How to Ask for More Money Job Offer Email
How to Ask for More Money Job Offer Email: Open a negotiation (Email Template)
Subject: [First Name], I’m eager to get started (Quick questions)
Hi [Insert Name],
Thank you for the job offer. I’m excited by the opportunity to join your team!
I was wondering where the offer falls on the compa ratio for the position and if the offer is negotiable?
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
[Insert Name]
How to Ask for More Money Job Offer: Ask for More Money When the Offer is Low (Email Template)
Subject: If the employer responds that the offer is negotiable, respond in the thread and leave the subject line as is.
Hi [Insert Name],
Thank you for the information and for being open to negotiating.
Based on my research of what companies in our industry, at the same stage, and in [Insert City] are paying someone with my skills, education, training, experience, and track record of success to perform the job’s duties and responsibilities, the offer is lower than I anticipated.
I appreciate the opportunity to work with you to establish a market rate that reflects my experience. The market is currently paying [Insert specific counteroffer number] for someone with my track record of success.
The job requires [Insert duty]. [Insert a bullet point list of quantified work accomplishments that relate to this job duty.]
The job also requires [Insert duty]. [Insert a bullet point list of quantified work accomplishments that relate to this job duty.]
In addition, it requires [Insert duty]. [Insert a bullet point list of quantified work accomplishments that relate to this job duty.]
A base pay of [Insert specific number] equitably reflects the value of my skills, education, training, and experience.
Can the company come up to [Insert specific counteroffer number]? If so, I can confirm that I can start on [Insert date].
I eagerly look forward to your thoughts.
Thank you,
[Insert Name]
How to Ask for More Money Job Offer (FAQs)
Do employers expect you to negotiate?
Yes, employers expect you to negotiate. On average 73% of employers expect a negotiation despite this 58% of people don’t negotiate their job offer. Some employers even lowball job offers in anticipation of a salary negotiation. If you’re unsure if the employer expects you to negotiate, confirm that the offer is negotiable by saying “Thank you for the offer. Is it negotiable?”
How to reject an offer and ask for more money?
It is important that when you decide to reject a job offer and ask for more money that you have market data and personal performance data to support why the offer is low. When you have this data and you’ve confirmed that the offer is negotiable you can say something like…
“Thank you very much for the offer. I’m excited by the opportunity to join the team.
Based on my research the offer is lower than what companies in our industry, at the same stage, and in [Insert City] are paying someone with my skills, education, training, experience, and track record of success to perform the job’s duties and responsibilities.
The job requires [Insert duties]. [Insert a bullet point list of quantified work accomplishments that relate to the job duties.]
Based on the market a [Insert specific number] equitably reflects base pay for someone with my experience. Can the company come up to this? If so, I can confirm that I can get started on [Insert date].”
How do you politely ask for more money in a job offer?
To politely ask for more money:
- Express gratitude
- Express your excitement for the offer
- Make a very specific counteroffer based on market data and personal performance data
- Use quantified professional achievements to communicate your value and support your counteroffer
How do you negotiate salary after receiving a job offer?
The steps to successfully negotiate salary after receiving a job offer are to:
- Research your value in the market
- Research your value to the company
- Remove fear by determining your Worst Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (WATNA)
- Set base pay minimums and compensation goals
- Build your confidence by practicing what you’ll say
- Ask where the offer falls on the compa ratio scale for the position
- Confirm that the offer is negotiable
- Make your ask
- Get agreed to final details in writing
- Say thank you
Is it rude to ask for more money when offered a job?
While it’s not rude to ask for more money when offered a job there is a professional way to go about it. Asking for money without being rude includes expressing your gratitude for the offer, organizing market research pay data and personal performance data, confirming the offer is negotiable, and explaining why you deserve more money using data to support your case.
Questions? Leave a comment.
Did a step in the process to ask for more money after you received a job offer surprise you? Will you ask for more money in-person or by email?
Let me know in the comment section below.
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