RULE 85

Don’t ever believe you’re only worth what you are being paid

Those who believe they are only worth what an employer pays them are almost always selling themselves short. Big companies depend on people not questioning their worth. Don’t let them get away with it.

There are several points here. Firstly, it’s a fact that if you work for an employer, those who change their jobs fairly frequently tend to get pay rises each time and therefore end up earning more than those who stay with the same company (maybe for very good reasons, like being happy). If you are staying put you have to learn to ask for more and demonstrate how you are adding value to an organisation to justify being paid more.

Secondly, no company is ever going to pay more for anything than they really have to. You need to be proactive and ask for more, and show you are worth more. It requires you to take action, however. Don’t wait to be recognised. If you are freelance the same applies – nobody will suddenly offer to pay you more for your work – you need to be proactive and show you are worth more.

Thirdly, if you think you are always worth more, it makes you restless, ambitious, keen to get on. If you accept what is offered and never question it, then it makes you complacent and you’ll get taken for granted.

Now this is not a book about how to get a pay rise* but opposite are a few tips.

• Be very clear about what you think you are worth – and why. If you have worked harder, achieved more, produced more, got better results, then you are entitled to say so and ask for recompense.
• Don’t bargain just for money – always take into account cars, pensions, holiday entitlements, responsibility, working environment and space, staffing, whatever it is you want.
• If you do get turned down, always find out why and what it is you could do to get what you ask for.
• Return after putting right whatever was wrong in the previous point.
• Never compare yourself with anyone else – you are unique and there is no comparison.

Getting more money – or anything else – is a matter of negotiating. Those who are good negotiators get more. It’s as simple as that. Brush up on your negotiating skills (see Rule 34). And don’t moan if you don’t get what you want. Work harder and go back again.