Negotiating a salary in a new job, or an existing job is no joke.  It is the way you make your living, and your job is to make sure you get paid!

I received a testimonial that I want to share.  For some reason, the majority of BSJ readers who respond with comments do so by writing me directly.  I certainly do not mind, as many want to ask for advice regarding their relationship with their employer; and that certainly makes sense to me.  I always appreciate comments, responses, and testimonials regardless of whether they appear in the publication.

This following two pieces of correspondence was shared by a BSJ subscriber who we can all be proud of:

DATE – April XX, 2013

Hello Michael,

First, I want to thank you for all the amazing sales advice and insights your blog provides, especially since it’s geared towards professionals of color!

I’m in my first of year of sales (I sell  industrial supplies) and have had some substantial success so far. I’ve been approached by another company and I just received an offer. I just read your post on ’Negotiating Salary’ and have crafted my counter offer. I will present it tomorrow morning and will let you know how it goes. Please keep up the great work!

Sincerely D,
Boston, MA

_______

A few days later I received this one:

DATE –  April XX, 2013

Hello Michael,

I have good news! The negotiations went very well. I was able to get 10k more in base pay with only a 3% decrease in commission (from 8% – to 5%) I also got a bigger car allowance!

I did everything that the articles recommended and the results speak for themselves. I’m not going to lie, I was very nervous, as I had never negotiated my salary before, but like the saying goes: “closed mouths don’t get fed”.

Feel free to use this email as a testimonial and keep up the great work!

Sincerely D
Boston, MA

________

I thank “D” for the communications and the update.  I also thank him, and the rest of you for reading Black Sales Journal.

Need Some Help Negotiation Your Salary?

Almost annually I publish some assistance that you should be aware of.

• Black Sales Journal – How to Get The Salary That You Want – I
• Black Sales Journal – How to Get the Salary That You Want – II

These two posts are common sense approaches to helping you get the salary and benefit packages that will make the position worth while.

It is not a matter of reading these; it is a matter of “buying in” and doing the pre-work.  It is a matter of having substantiation through research, and taking the right actions.

Dedicated to Helping Black Sales Professionals Achieve Success

I have another that I will be sharing in an issue this month.  They feel good because the “cards can be stacked against you”.

Share Black Sales Journal with other Black professionals and make sure to:

• Subscribe to BSJ through email
• “Like” BSJ on Facebook
• Follow BSJ on Twitter (@BlackSalesJrnl)
• Follow BSJ on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/company/black-sales-journal/)

Any of these methods will ensure that you do no miss a post.  I will protect your information and never share your email address.

Also, please note that if you are a Black Sales Journal reader, feel free to link with me on LinkedIn.

Always be prepared.

Your comments are appreciated.