135: She Asked. She Got It. This Is Exactly How She Negotiated Her Salary Raise.

You can be indispensable and still be underpaid, especially when you have been loyal, consistent, and quietly carrying more than your title says. 

If you are an ambitious introverted Black woman leader aiming for executive compensation, pay equity, and a stronger path to the C-suite, this conversation is designed to make negotiation feel learnable instead of scary. 

Listen, share this with a friend who needs it, and then subscribe so you do not miss what comes next. If the episode helps, leave a review and tell us: what would make you feel ready to make the ask?

If you're ready to get your leadership promotion faster and finally command the total compensation package you deserve, let's talk and see if the Elite Executive Experience is for you. (https://calendly.com/thechangedoc/coaching)

Transcript

Welcome And Who We Serve

0:00

Hey Lady Leader, welcome back. Or if you're new here, I am so glad that you found us. My name is Dr. Nicole Bryan, and I'm your host on the Leading Her Introvert Way podcast. I am an executive leadership psychologist and a former Fortune 500 executive. And I created this podcast specifically for you, the ambitious introverted black woman who knows she has meant for more. Here we talk about getting you promoted to the executive level, growing into the leader that your title requires, and building a team that actually performs. And we do all of that without you having to shrink yourself, pretend that you're extroverted, or work your fingers to the ball. Now, if any of that sounds like what you need, then definitely stay tuned. Before we dive into today's episode, I just want to take a moment, especially for anyone who's new here, to share exactly what we do and who we do it for. I work specifically with ambitious Black introverted women leaders at the executive and senior leadership levels. And the work that I do with them centers around three core problems. Problem number one is getting you into your next executive level promotion because the path to the C-suite is not always clear and it is almost never handed to you. We build your strategy to get you there. Problem number two is closing the skill gap between being a strong manager and being a true executive leader. Those are two different roles, and the transition usually requires new capabilities, new ways of thinking, and a totally new leadership identity. And problem number three is I help you set up your new team or your new department to make sure you are performing high. Because getting the seat is only just the beginning. What you do once you're in it determines everything that comes next. If any of those three things describe where you are right now, you are in exactly the right place.

Sharon Realises She Is Underpaid

2:09

Now let's get into today's episode because I have a story to tell you that I think you need to hear. Not because she wasn't adding value, not because she hadn't earned more, but because she never made the ask until she did. And what happened next changed everything for her. So today I'm gonna walk you through exactly what she did and what you can take from her story into your own negotiation. She came to me frustrated. Sharon had been with her organization for years. She was extremely loyal and she loved the work. But she also had watched her peers, people she had mentored, people who had come in after her, they all moved ahead in compensation while she stayed relatively flat. Now, she knew she was underpaid. She had suspected it for years, but she had never had the language or the data or even the confidence to do anything about it. So when we started working together, one of the first things that we did was get clear on the market value of her role. Not what her company said it was worth, but what the market said it was worth. The gap between the two was very, very significant. Then we built her business case. We documented her contributions. We made sure we outlined the business impact that she and her team were having. We made clear what her scope of responsibility was. And yes, you guessed it. What was on her job description or her official job description was way outdated. And what she was actually doing was very different. Everything that made her not just a good employee, but an indispensable one. And then we identified the right people to have the conversation with, not just her manager, right? So she was a vice president, not just her senior vice president, but the full decision-making chain in her organization. After that, we prepared her for the conversation itself. We got very, very specific about the language that she needed to use. We were very thoughtful and intentional about the approach she was going to take. And we even prepared for the potential responses to the objections she was likely going to receive. And then she walked in. But even though she felt that way, she could not deny that she was prepared and prepared for her beat nervous. She made her case, she did it professionally, she laid everything out, she was extremely specific, and she was backed by the data. So they could not argue with that. So what happened? She got a salary increase that moved her significantly closer to what the market said she deserved. She also got additional compensation elements that she previously had never even thought to ask for. And then something that she didn't expect, she got a new level of respect in how leadership saw her and engaged with her. Because here's what most of us women don't realize until somebody lays it out. The ask doesn't just change your paycheck, it changes how your company sees you.

Five Moves That Win Raises

7:04

Now let's break down the specific things that she did that made her negotiations because I want you to see that this wasn't luck or personality or some special gift that she had that you don't. It was simply being intentional and setting a strategy. The first thing that Sharon did was she got clear on her market value before having any compensation conversations. She didn't depend or rely on her feelings about her value. She got data. What the market was actually paying for someone with her skills, her experience, and her scope of responsibility. The second thing that she did was she documented her impact specifically. She didn't go in there saying, I'm a hard worker, so I deserve more. She didn't talk about I always deliver. She got specific and quantified her contributions that tied her work directly to the organization's outcomes. The third thing that she did that most people don't do beforehand is she understood who in her company was actually making the compensation decisions. She didn't just rely on her manager and hope for the best. She researched, tracked, and understood the full chain of decision makers and she prepared accordingly. The fourth thing that Sharon did was she worked hard to manage her emotions because she was getting it all mumbled up, all jumbled up together. She was deliberate about separating her emotions from her strategy. Now she was nervous, absolutely, but she didn't let the nervousness drive the conversation. The data drove the conversation. She showed up as a professional presenting a case, not an employee hoping to be rewarded. And the fifth thing that Sharon did is she actually made the ask. Now I know that that sounds simple, but it's not because so many of us never even make an ask. Making the ask clearly, specifically, and without apology is one of the hardest parts for us as women. But Sharon did it, and she did it well. None of this, none of what Sharon did was magic. All of it was learnable, and that's exactly the point. So I want to leave you today in this episode with one clear decision. Not a framework, not a checklist, simply a decision. I want you to decide that you are going to make the ask. Not someday, not when the economy improves, because God knows when that's going to be. And she made the ask when everything in her wanted to wait a little longer. And because she didn't wait, it changed everything. The only difference between where you are right now and where Sharon is, is that she made the ask.

Free Workshop Invite And Closing

11:39

No, this is not only for people who are switching jobs. No, this is not for people who are going to new companies or in the job market. Yes, this is for individuals who also are looking to change roles inside their current organization. Yes, this is for individuals who plan to stay in their same role, but know that they should be making more. What we're gonna do in this workshop is we're gonna figure out what your market value is. I'm gonna show you exactly where you need to go to get the market data. We're also going to work on building your business case. So many women that I work with, they are initially confused about what are we, what are you talking about when we say business case? What are the different elements? What are the components that I need to include? Well, I'm going to give you all of that in the workshop. We're also going to figure out who in your organization you need to bring this information to and what to say when you get in the room, because you might be assuming that it's your direct manager. The reality is it may be him or her and a number of other decision makers as well. You can probably hear how passionate I am about this. And there's a number of reasons why. But at the end of the day, my goal for you is that you are earning the right level of compensation, that what you get from your company matches the contribution that you are actually making. Because I want you to be in a position where you actually feel like you are getting what you deserve and that you are positioned to start building wealth for yourself. This weekend, two hours each day, and it is completely free. The link is in the show notes, and registration takes less than a minute. This weekend could be your story. Come ready to write it. Sharon asked, Sharon got it, and now it is your turn. Until next time, Lady Leader, keep leading your introvert way.