How to Negotiate a Raise or Promotion (With Scripts)

It can be very uncomfortable to talk about your pay with your manager. I know for me, earlier in my career, it felt like I was challenging authority. It felt like I was being “ungrateful” or “difficult”, even when I was disappointed with the meager pay increases I was receiving, despite my consistent highly rated performance at work.

As someone who was raised to not prioritize my own needs and wants, and to think on behalf of the “collective”, I was the perfect employee for any manager in the corporate world. Work hard, be diligent, keep quiet, and don’t cause waves.

Over the years, I’ve come to realize a harsh but important truth. Hard work alone is not enough. You need to be able to self advocate and negotiate for what you’re worth.

“How do I negotiate for higher pay or a promotion?”

That is one of the most common questions I receive from clients and people on YouTube/Instagram–especially in this economy. I wish my younger self knew what I’m about to share below. Having spent 20 years in Fortune 500 companies building my career as a corporate finance leader, I am now intimately familiar with how decisions for pay increases, budgeting, and negotiations are actually made. Read below to get paid more at work!

5 things to avoid (and do instead) to negotiate higher pay at work

Do not: Preemptively come up with the response or justification that you think your manager will say. People commonly do this out of discomfort immediately after asking for a raise, and they completely weaken their ask by saying things like: “I know budgets are so tight right now” or “Everyone is working so hard and I know we’re swamped, this may not be the best time, but…”
- Remember: It’s not your responsibility to come up with the response on behalf of your manager.
- What to say instead: “I understand that as a business, we have to prioritize our time and investments in order to continue being successful. I’ve taken on more responsibility to help drive [insert project names/examples]. At the same time, my title and pay do not properly match the amount of scope and responsibilities I’m owning right now so I’d like to discuss how to get them to be aligned. What are your thoughts?”
Do not: Lead the conversation by talking about how you feel about your pay.
- Remember: It’s not about your feelings. It’s about the work that you do, your skills, and proper research + evidence to support your point of view on how much you should be paid versus your current pay.
- What to say instead: “Based on my level of experience, scope of my responsibilities, and consistent high performance for our company, my current pay is below market. I’d like to discuss how to get my pay to be more consistent with the high results I’m delivering. What are your thoughts?”
Do not: Think you just need to bring up the conversation once and that’s it.
- Remember: The first conversation is just the start. Do not expect to come away from that single conversation with a resolution. It often takes series of conversations over time to get to the outcome you want. That’s okay, that’s to be expected. Negotiation is an iterative flow, not a single finite conversation.
- What to say instead: “I appreciate hearing your thoughts and it’s great to hear that you also see the impact and results I’m delivering for the team and company. I’d love to continue this conversation. I will set up monthly career development check-ins with you in order to partner together and get my pay to match the scope and results I’m driving. What do you think?”
Do not: (For job seekers) Assume that if you negotiate, they’ll take your job offer away
- Remember: If they take your offer away just because you asked to negotiate, then that speaks to the integrity, culture, and maturity of that hiring manager and/or company. This is probably one of the biggest “fears” I hear from my clients when they’re going through the already stressful process of job hunting. Know your worth. Remember your worth. And if you need to stall, ask for some time to think. You do not need to always respond immediately. Do not make decisions on-the-spot or under pressure.
- What to say instead: “Thank you. It’s great to hear this initial offer–it makes me that much more excited to join [insert company name]. At the same time, this salary is a bit below what I expected. Given my X years of experience in this industry and my expertise in [insert something that the job description demands, which you have done]–I’d like to explore the potential of getting this salary a bit closer to my expectations. What is your pay range for this role?”
Do not: Assume that your manager remembers your accomplishments and goals over the past year (or years).
- Remember: You need to come prepared for this discussion. You don’t always need a full PowerPoint presentation, but you do need to have some tangible examples with solid results that you produced for the team or company which will help you get more pay. Managers are busy, and they are not going to proactively keep track of all the great things you accomplished. You should keep track of that throughout the year and have it as support to help lead you through these pay conversations with your manager.
- What to say instead: “I am definitely proud and excited that I was able to help drive so many key projects and outcomes for the team/company this past year. The most substantial one was [insert highest impact project/work], which also helped [insert description of how your work helped other people, teams, or functions]. I know time is tight and things are so hectic for you–I have a summary of the other accomplishments which would help to support this pay discussion. That will help remind you and the leadership team of my impact over the past [insert timeframe] in order to get my pay and title to match my scope & responsibilities. I will send it over to you after this conversation. What other questions or concerns do you have?”

Final reminders for pay negotiations

Much like a lot of other things in life, the first time you bring up this pay discussion would be the hardest and most uncomfortable. The more you practice it, the more natural it will feel. Don’t mix in your emotions into this conversations. The best thing you can do when talking about your pay is to remain calm and objective. It’s not about comparing yourself to others or how you feel (even though your frustrations and/or feelings are valid—just save it for a different kind of conversation). This conversation with your manager should be very objective. It should be delivered using solid evidence to support your request, and articulating it in a clear, concise way that highlights your skills, abilities, value, and overall positive contribution to the team and/or company.

If you stumble a bit and your voice is a bit shaky—it’s okay! Remind yourself that it is part of your manager’s responsibilities to be clear about the work that you’re doing, paired with how much you’re getting paid for it. It’s a mutual relationship and if anything, approach it as just a conversation. If you’re asking for a raise and sharing all of your contributions, the best that could happen is that your manager remembers all the amazing things you’ve done and approves the raise. The worst that could happen is that your manager remembers all the amazing things you’ve done.

It’s just a conversation with another human being. But you have to start it. Start somewhere.

More about how to increase your pay & advocate for yourself at work

Here is another post in this Self Advocacy series: How to Advocate for Yourself at Work Naturally (Without Sounding Pushy)

If you’re ready to start your pay or promotion negotiation, let’s talk. I can help get you there.

Found this helpful or insightful?

Let’s stay in touch and keep the conversation going!

About Ricky Koo

Ricky Koo is a seasoned corporate executive, entrepreneur, and certified Leadership & Communication Coach with a passion for helping professionals lead with authenticity and impact. With a background in Psychology and as a former Big 4 CPA, he built a distinguished career in Fortune 500 companies across banking, consulting, and technology, leading global teams and navigating complex business environments. Ricky’s unique perspective and strong instincts as a business leader enable him to successfully guide people through challenging situations while developing and fostering strong cultures.

As an instructor at UC Berkeley Extension, he passionately blends a strong technical foundation with real-world leadership experience to deliver transformative learnings on communication, influence, leadership, and career development. His approach bridges science with practicality, creating meaningful impact for audiences worldwide—from the classroom to the boardroom.

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How to Advocate for Yourself at Work (Without Sounding Pushy) – Ricky Koo Coaching – Career & Self Development

March 25, 2026

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