Remember the story of Aladdin and the magic lamp? The genie would have never granted his wishes if he had not asked. In life, we ask for prices, directions, wishes, time, and everything else. However, it is strange we never ask for a raise or rather hesitate and ponder over it as if we would die if we did so.

The saying goes, "Only a crying baby gets fed." However, do we wish to be known as cry babies at the workplace in order to get a raise? It is easier for a marketing person or a sales executive to ask for a raise than say an engineer or a software programmer. This is because marketing people or sales executives can quantify their improvement by saying, "This is how much we sold last year, and this is how much we have sold this year. As you can see, we have doubled our sales revenues this year, which increases our company's profit by 30%. So don't you think we deserve a raise?" Unfortunately for us techies, this way of quantifying is not possible, as we can't connect our improvement to the company's profit and loss statement. What would we say? "I wrote a new program for that project" or "I worked 16 hour days last year and took only three days off."

As a result, many hesitate to ask for a raise, as they are unable to state clearly the reasons why they should be promoted to a senior position, which means a bigger pay packet. Therefore, many are job-hopping instead of negotiating a better salary or a promotion. As Anamika Jayanth, a computer professional in Bangalore says, "It is easier to find a better paying job than asking my boss for a higher salary." The result is that most Indian techies who used to be known for their loyalty to the company are now considered simply job-hoppers like their western counterparts. The truth is, many seem to be doing this because they don't know how to negotiate.

Here are five steps to negotiate with your boss for a better salary, and get it.

"Before you bring up the request for a raise, it is important to make yourself visually valuable. So start at least six months before you plan to ask for a raise," says David Lorenzo, a management consultant and author of Career Intensity: Business Strategy for Workplace Warriors and Entrepreneurs. Before you make your pitch for a raise, follow these five steps and prepare a convincing case.

1 Fix It: Identify a system or procedure that is not working well and try to fix it. Be inventive and go the extra mile. According to Lorenzo, "If you take initiative and take action, it will be clear that you're valuable, even if you can't quantify it." All employees face problems and instead of whining about it in the office cafeteria, see if you can do anything about it. It could be anything from fixing a bug to working with accounts department to expedite payment. It could even be helping with an urgent request from a client that is not part of your job description. This will make both your boss and co-workers recognize you as a fixer, and this makes you automatically more valuable in everyone's eyes.

2 Help Others: Help others who work above you, especially your boss. Find ways to meet the goals of your boss or people who work directly above you. It could be helping with a new project presentation, working overtime to help your boss meet a deadline or finishing your part of the project ahead of time. It can also mean helping your boss with last minute requests or handling a client while your boss is sick. This makes your boss look good to her boss. According to Lorenzo, "Bosses don't have their heads in the sand about this. They will want to keep you happy." Naturally, your boss would remember you and naturally, they will want to reward you. This is because you are now visually reliable and unless you have a bad boss, they will know they can rely on you and hence would like to retain you.

3 Know your worth: This is an important step, as it will make you more confident while negotiating a better salary or while asking for a raise. If you find yourself dispensable, make yourself indispensable. Improve your market value by doing value addition to the job, your colleagues, and most importantly your boss. Know your worth to the company or the role you play in the organization. Learn to quantify your work by seeing how your role affects the profit or loss statement.

4 Do the research: Use websites like www.salary.com and www.CareerBuilder.com to find out what people are making doing your job in various geographic locations. Most companies have a designated time to announce or give a raise or a promotion. Therefore, when you decide you deserve more money, you probably have to a wait for your moment. In the mean time, constantly remind your boss about the good job you are doing, and subtly prepare her with all the supporting material she will need to justify your raise to her superiors. Also, do research about salaries in your field. If the raise comes in low, belt out the statistics to show your value in the market.

5 Be polite: Ask but never demand. Do not try to use the better offer from another prospective employer as a bargaining chip. Explain by highlighting your specific accomplishments on the job and use the research to make a convincing case as to why you deserve a raise. While doing this, do not brag, but ask for the raise politely.

Of course, you may already have done one or more of the above. In that case, don't be shy about reminding your boss of what you have contributed. Make a convincing case by listing out improvements and contributions you have made that year. Then, sit down with your boss and explain why you believe you are worth more.

Recipe for an Effective Negotiation

1 cup of politeness
2 cups of customer satisfaction
3 cups of sweet and balanced temperament
2 cups of presentation skills
1 cup of reliability
1 cup of courage
1 cup of reminder
2 cups of determination

Take the above and stir them into a smooth paste. Apply the paste on your boss and wallah! You will get your raise. Remember, if you don't ask, you won't get it. The worst your boss can say is "NO." Even if that happens, you would have at least made the case, you will be on record with your boss or employers that you are currently being underpaid and this will be noticed. It will most probably help you make the shortlist for a salary hike when times get better, if your company is not doing well currently.

Stop complaining about being underpaid. Cheer up and get to work on the pitch that will get you the raise.

Deepa Kandaswamy
The author is the founder-moderator of the IndianWISE e-group
maildqindia@cybermedia.co.in
The views expressed here are personal
© Deepa Kandaswamy.
© First Indian Serial Rights, CyberMedia 2007. 
Any quotes from this article must link to this article and credit both author Deepa Kandaswamy and Dataquest.
This article may not be distributed in any manner without written consent from the author.

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