How to Get a Raise Without Asking: 7 Useful Strategies

No matter what kind of job you have, everyone wants to get a raise from time to time. No matter how big your starting salary is, after you’ve put in great effort and contributed to the company’s growth, it is only natural to expect an increase in wages. Ideally, you would want to get a raise without asking for it, but if it’s not forthcoming, you might start wondering how to professionally ask for a raise.

Some organizations increase their employees’ pay routinely, or each time the company – or the individual –  achieves a significant milestone. However, other employers are content to let their employees remain financially stagnant for a very long time.

While some people are bold enough to approach their boss and ask for a raise, others lack the confidence to make that move. If you fall into the latter category, then this article is for you, as we will show you how to get a raise without even asking for it.

General Preconditions for Getting a Raise

There are conditions that determine whether the time is right to ask for a salary increase or not. Some general preconditions include:

• Financial Boom: The best time to ask for a raise is when business is booming or when the company’s finances are especially solid or experiencing a spike.
• Typical Annual Raise: As noted earlier, some companies routinely increase their staff’s salary annually, while some others typically give a raise after six months.
• Timing: The best time to ask for a raise is after you have completed a major project or reached a significant milestone in your career with the company. Oftentimes, such feats are also rewarded with a promotion.
• Solid Reasons: Your boss may need to know your reasons for asking for a raise. It is important to have an incentive to grant you a raise. For instance, an incredible performance is one way to get noticed

7 Easy Tips How to Get a Raise Without Asking

Now that we have highlighted how you can tell, if your timing is good, let’s show you how to get a raise without asking.

1. Bring in New Clients

Typically, bringing in new clients is the responsibility of the marketing team, but things are changing fast. In today’s world, everyone is a part of the sales team. You may not have the marketing skills to close a deal, but that doesn’t stop you from consistently selling your company and its products to prospective customers. When you’ve piqued their interest, you can then hand the reins over to the sales team to close the deal.

Bringing in a new client shows your commitment to the company’s growth, and places you in the spotlight, as someone who deserves to be compensated with a hefty raise.

2. Enhance Your Boss’ Reputation

Making your boss look good often works wonders if you’re worrying about how to get a raise without asking. Bosses simply love employees who make them shine. As long as your boss reports this to the top brass, they should feel indebted to you, for making them look especially efficient.

You can do this by collaborating with your boss on important tasks, and putting your best foot forward to ensure that your team consistently produces good results. Then your boss will be seen as an asset to the company, and chances are that they will recommend you for a raise.

Naturally, this doesn’t mean you should allow them to plagiarize your work or steal your ideas. This strategy is only really suitable for bosses who encourage you to do better, and not for those who make your job difficult and leave you feeling frustrated.

3. Become an Expert

One foolproof strategy to get more pay is to become an expert in a certain section of your field. When you upskill and gain expertise in something that is relevant to your job, your employers will rely more on you to provide solutions, and this will quite naturally attract a higher salary.

One of the worst mistakes anyone could make, is to remain at the same skill level or to depend only on company-sponsored educational schemes. The smartest people go out of their way to expand their skill set and acquire new certifications in a particular field. This is one of the best ways to climb the ladder to greater success in your career.

4. Get a Mentor

For every challenge or obstacle you face in your job today, there are people who have overcome them, before you knew that such issues even existed. So, instead of navigating your career path alone, it is advisable to find a mentor — a veteran in your field whom you admire — to guide you.

Your mentor will teach you ways to work more efficiently, handle challenges, and they are bound to have tips on how to get a raise without asking.

5. Become Indispensable

While some employees struggle to get better wages, some others get a mouthwatering raise and other monetary inducements to keep them from leaving the company. The big difference between these two categories of employees is the perception of value.

If you bring more value to the company, there is a good chance that they’ll increase your salary because they don’t want to lose you to the competition. On the other hand, if you appear to be easily replaceable, they probably will not bother. And the worst part? They may even lay you off and get someone cheaper.

Therefore, there is no better way to indirectly ask for a raise, than to bring more value to the organization by being the best at what you do.

6. Show Initiative

Companies grow by creating initiatives and following through with innovation. If you consistently come up with innovative ideas and creative ways of improving the company’s products or services, the bosses will start to regard you as a valuable person who deserves a raise.

7. Develop a Good Relationship with Clients

If your job involves meeting clients directly, you can bring about a salary boost by developing a positive relationship with the clients. Becoming that member of staff, whom clients trust to solve their problems and provide solutions efficiently, increases your value within the organization and qualifies you for a bonus or a raise.

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People who are wondering how to get a raise without asking will benefit from reading books that improve their productivity, like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, or How to Get Big Things Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner. These books will equip you with all the knowledge you need to become a highflyer in your career.

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Now is the best time to break barriers in your career. Subscribe to Blinkist today and listen to short podcasts from the most influential books that will allow you to become one of the privileged people who can get a raise without even asking.