By Dawn Klingensmith
CTW Features
Given the poor economy and scarcity of resources, it would make sense that the thrifty worker who makes do with less would be treated as a valuable asset, right?
Wrong, claims Mark Nicholas, a Los Angeles attorney and blogger.
On the contrary, those who scrimp set themselves up for mistreatment and failure, he believes.
Workers need resources to succeed, he says. If they ask for what they need and not a penny more, when further belt-tightening occurs they will get less than they need. At the same time, other departments with savvier negotiators will be over funded.
"Ask for more than you need," Nicholas advises, be it money, staff or even storage space. "The company will make a counteroffer, expecting you'll negotiate downward, so go in there and ask for the sky. It's the way the game is played."
Be prepared to explain what the company will get in return for investing its resources in a project, a department budget or a bigger salary.
"You have to be able to show how you can generate more revenue or save the company money. That's what gives you the strength," says Vickie Milazzo, author of "Wicked Success is Inside Every Woman" (Wiley, 2011). "A strong negotiator makes the person putting up the money want to put up the money. I'd say that in today's economy, if you can prove you're financially valuable, a smart company would have to be responsive to your request."
Remember to demonstrate value, not just thrift. "Just being willing to take less won't necessarily benefit the company," Milazzo says. "Don't just say, 'This is how much I want.' Say, 'This is how much I want and here's why.'"
But penny-pinching and coming up short can backfire.
"If you have to come back to the boss in the middle of the project and ask for more money, you run the risk of looking like you don't know what you're doing," Milazzo warns.
Asking for more resources than necessary provides cover in case a project fails, points out Nicholas, author of the self-published workplace advice book "I Come First." "You can say, 'You saddled me from the start.'"