Negotiating Salary and Benefits 5 Questions Women Should Ask

Negotiating Salary and Benefits 5 Questions Women Should AskNegotiating Salary and Benefits 5 Questions Women Should AskNegotiating Salary and Benefits 5 Questions Women Should AskPinDo you get the salary you deserve? I have always been paid mora or at least the same as my male colleagues. I am very good at negotiating my own salary. I even teach women how to get paid for what they do. And Im here to ask you fivequestions to get you thinking about salary and benefits in a way that makes you feel confident and prepared to discuss these topics when job searching.5Questions To Ask Yourself About Salary and Benefits1. What is your vision?If you do not have a vision, you will not know where you are going or what resources you will need to get there money, people, energy, etc.Money is a resource like anything else. Think about your vision for yourself and your life. The next questions will help you.2. How much are you worth?All companies calculate their value. They need to know how much th ey are worth in case they are required to take out a loan or sell the company.Have youcalculated your value? Have you considered how much you are worth in terms of yearly salary? I have noticed that somewomen have difficulty putting a price tag on themselves. Manydo not seek to become wealthy, as if earning money- a lot of money- is not appropriate for women, even though we are living in the year 2017.Try to write down how much you are worth in yearly salary, including pension.If you want to be a successful businessperson, you should show an interest in the financial game, and you should learn how to prioritize economy and investments.Most importantly, you should realize how much you are worth. If you do not understand economics, I recommend that you attend some basic courses to learn how to read annual accounts, and create and understand investments.3. Can you prioritize your values?You can work with a prioritization of your life values so that pricingyourself will become easier. Y our valuation of yourself is often influenced by what other people think of you- whether they see you as a success or a failure, a winner or a loser, strong or weak.The good news is that you can easily stamp out this influence. The prerequisite is that you should be willing to step into character, cultivate your authentic self, and not allow others to influence your self-image negatively.4. Have you thought about what financial freedom means to you?About 20 years ago, I seriously thought about what I wanted to achieve in my life. Old friends say that I have always known what I wanted. However, that welches not exactly my experience, but apparently, my attitude has always been like that.In the beginning, my goal was to earn money and get everything that I did not have as a child. I was also very focused on earning money and becoming financially independent.Toward the end of the 1990s, I made a so-called f-you account (I am sorry about the name I was very young back then). In that ban k account, I saved my money, rather than spending it partying or buying clothes, to ensure my independence and freedom.While my friends bought lipsticks, I bought books. While they were partying, I was working. While they were hungover, I studied on weekends. They have fantastic lives today, but at the same time, some are frustrated and feel left out in a society dominated by men. But nobody is leaving them out.The point is, the sooner you think about what financial freedom means to you- why you need or want to make money- the sooner youll reach the goals and lifestyle you seek.5. What are your risks and rewards?When you decide which salary is right for you to maintain a good balance in your life, you need to consider a few different risk profiles and possible rewards. Salary is only one part of being rich.You should be aware of your risk profile because it says something about what you can win and what you are willing to invest/when you ask for more money. The greater the risk, the greater the expected return.Is your level of risk tolerance high, medium, or low? Are you the type of person who takes chances, or are you the type who is more hesitant and take your time to weigh your options?When you need to assess a new job or a new opportunity, you should write down what you stand to gain if you seize the opportunity.Possible RewardsMoneyFreedomStatusFlexibility/timeChallengesMore skilled colleaguesHappinessPossible LossesLoss of time with the familyLoss of happinessHealth-related consequencesLoss of freedomLoss of flexibilityLoss of statusWhat do you perceive as a reward? What is a loss? It is highly individual, and you should have a clear idea about the loss/win rating of all situations and new opportunities.By answering these questions, seriously and thoughtfully, you will no longer blame other people when something does not live up to your expectations. Instead, you will feel in control of your financial freedom, and better able to advocate for yourself whe n it comes to salary and benefits negotiation.Looking for a higher salary? Check out these telecommuting jobs that can make you happy and rich.Readers, what questions have you asked yourself about salary and benefits? Whats your confidence level when it comes to discussing these topics during your job search?Soulaima Gourani is the founder of Tradeconductor.com, which works towards world peace through trade, and the CEO of CapitalAid. She is a motivational speaker and philanthropist with approx. 200 public talks/year around the world, an advisor to major companies on change management, employee motivation, and the future of business. And she is the author of three books. Lear more at www.soulaima.com.