How to Write a Salary Negotiation Email
By Ladies Get Paid Founder & Author Claire Wasserman. Follow Claire for more career tips, or purchase The Ladies Get Paid book. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.
How to Write a Salary Negotiation Email
Once you reach the job offer phase of the hiring process, you’ve probably invested a great deal of time and energy applying and interviewing for the position, and so has your prospective employer, which means they want you, as much as you want then! Keep this in mind if you’re feeling nervous when writing a salary negotiation email. Whether you negotiate your salary over zoom, phone or email is up to you. If you prefer email, here’s how to write a salary negotiation email that will set you up for a high offer.
Say thank you
Open your email by expressing your gratitude for being offered a role at the company, and reinforcing your enthusiasm for joining the company.
Let them know you’d like to negotiate
Once you’ve expressed gratitude, let them know you’re not quite ready to accept the offer without discussing a higher salary first.
Make your case
This is your time to shine. Use evidence of your wins and superpowers to tell the story about why you’re worth more. Examples include your years of experience, successes you’ve had in your previous roles, or how you’ve impacted the bottom line.
Include market research
Include the numbers from your market research in your salary negotiation email. This will show prospective employers that you’ve done your research, and not just pulling numbers you like out of thin air. The more you can ground your ask in data, the more likely you are to get a yes.
Drop the numbers
In your salary negotiation email, you can either choose a range of numbers or choose one number. If you’re sticking to one number, make sure it’s the highest number in your range to anchor high and give you room to negotiate.
Reiterate your enthusiasm
When wrapping up your salary negotiation email, reiterate your enthusiasm for joining the company, and that you’re confident that you can work together with the team to find an offer that works for everyone.
Salary Negotiation Email Sample
Hi [Name],
Wow, what an exciting email to receive! Thank you for the generous offer, and I’m super enthusiastic about joining [company] as [role].
I do want to discuss compensation for this role before I fully commit. My research indicates that the salary range for this kind of role is typically between [$X – $Y]. I’m highly confident I can deliver results for [Company], and because of my # years of experience, as well as my [past success] and [skills], I’m hoping we can get closer to the upper range of [$Number].
Thank you again for the offer and invitation to join [Company]. I love everything about the team and the mission, and I’m optimistic we can come to an agreement that everyone feels great about.
Very best,
[Name]
At the end of the day, remember that if you’re at the negotiation phase of a job search, the company wants YOU! By using this formula, you’ll kick off a negotiation process that will ensure you get paid what you deserve, and contribute to your wealth building journey.
