Judge Judy says “Negotiations are simple: know what you’re worth, say it, and don’t be afraid to walk if you don’t get it”

I know a lot of people who have been at their careers for about 20 years. And to this day, they’re not happy with the money they’re making.

Now in some cases, that’s a function of the industry. One of my friends is a social worker. And no matter what she does, she’s probably not going to make more than $90,000 to $95,000 a year based on her line of work.

On the other hand, I have friends who work for big companies in a variety of positions. Some are tech people. Others work in finance. And some are creative folks.

The one thing these people have in common is that they like to complain about their wages without doing anything about it. And frankly, it’s time to break that cycle.

You need to advocate for yourself

Judge Judy has been quoted as saying, “Negotiations are simple: know what you’re worth, say it, and don’t be afraid to walk if you don’t get it.” And she’s totally right.

The first step in getting what you want is knowing your worth. So to that end, do some research.

Talk to recruiters in your area to see if your pay is up to par, or if you’re being shorted. And also, do some digging internally to make sure you’re not being underpaid for a silly reason, like your gender. There are also online resources, like Glassdoor, you can use to look up salary data.

From there, figure out if you’re in the professional position you want to be in. If not, it may be time for a career pivot. But if you’re mostly happy with your work and it’s the pay that’s the sticking point, that’s something to fight for.

Don’t be afraid to speak up

There’s a good chance that if you don’t let your employer know that you want a raise, you’re not going to get one. So it’s important to have that conversation, and to approach it with as much confidence as possible.

To that end, first decide that you’re going to advocate for yourself and commit to doing that. Next, come up with a strategy. It could be a combination of presenting salary data and a highlight reel of your professional accomplishments.

After that, practice your pitch. Doing a trial run could help you approach the conversation with added confidence.

Finally, schedule your meeting strategically, such as after sales numbers come in that show you led your team to a more profitable quarter.

Another important thing to do is to have a backup plan in case negotiations don’t go your way. If you’re talking salary and your employer says no to a raise, think about what else you might be able to get out of them.

Maybe you can score a different perk, like extra time off or cell phone reimbursement. It’s important to always be thinking one step ahead any time you’ve got a negotiation on your hands so that you’re able to come out a winner in some shape or form.

And if things really do not go your way, you could always walk away – provided you have a backup plan there, too.