5 ChatGPT prompts to negotiate your next pay rise
Claire with the Camera
Do you feel like you’re getting paid enough for the effort you put in? Is your remuneration motivating you to continue to show up and give your role all you’ve got? Whether you’re an employee, contractor or entrepreneur, if you’re not sure your work is being duly rewarded, get a conversation on the cards. People who are paid their worth have figured out how to confidently state what they want. Join them today and see what you can negotiate.
Rebecca Ann is founder of The Successful Leaders’ Collective, an exclusive community designed for high-achieving women. As a mentor and leadership specialist empowering women to unlock their full potential and progress in their careers, Rebecca Ann’s leadership and career advice has featured in Stylist, HR Grapevine and Red. Having previously worked for the UK government where she advocated strongly for equality, diversity and inclusion and her stakeholder management initiative was made nationwide best practice, Rebecca Ann is now a sought-after speaker and workshop facilitator.
Rebecca Ann wants to help you make more money, and suggests these 5 ChatGPT prompts to set up and carry out a confident conversation. They have been modified to include the 9 crucial components of an effective prompt. Copy, paste and edit the square brackets in ChatGPT, and keep the same chat window open so the context carries through.
Get paid more in your role with ChatGPT
Create a clear timeline
“If you want results, it’s important to prepare weeks in advance for a pay rise discussion,” said Rebecca Ann. Don’t half bake this prep. She recommends this prompt to help you, “do your research; build your case and boost your confidence to speak to your employer or client about what you need.” It will give you a detailed plan to carry out, and “a checklist to tick off as you build towards that important pay rise conversation.”
“I want to speak to my [employer or client] about having a pay rise. I [operate a business in/carry out the role of] [describe the purpose of your work]. My [role of person you report to] faces the problem of [describe the problem their business aims to solve] and my work supports them with [describe how you contribute to this outcome]. I currently carry out the roles and responsibilities of [describe your key responsibilities here] and my goal is for these to be recognised with an increased level of pay, specifically [state the contract increase you are looking for]. Acting as a career coach, create a clear timeline for preparing for a conversation about my desire for a pay rise. My goal is to use this to start negotiations on [date].”
Know your worth
What are those at the top of their game in your industry being paid, and how can you join them? “Understanding where you are in relation to your industry is vital information in payment negotiations,” explained Rebecca Ann. You need to identify the “key skills and experience you already possess that would support you being paid at the higher end of a salary or retainer bracket.” Rebecca Ann said doing this research gives you evidence to draw on when negotiating, so your conversation is grounded in, “logic rather than emotion.”
“I want to get the recognition and remuneration I deserve for the value I offer my [client/employer]. Using the information you know about my role and key responsibilities, give me information about industry [salaries/fees] in [describe your industry and location] to ensure I’m making a compelling case for a [salary/fee] increase. Then describe the skills of a person operating at the top of this bracket, so I can prepare to explain how my work demonstrates this level in a negotiation with the company.”
Set up the conversation
“It can be hard to put yourself forward for a pay rise, which is why many of us put these conversations off until we’re frustrated and unhappy at not being properly compensated,” said Rebecca Ann, who doesn’t want you to shy away any longer. “Come from a place of confidence and preparedness,” she explained, by using this prompt to overcome “that initial blank of how to start the conversation,” removing the obstacle so you are not stumbling at the first step. Set the conversation up with a confident first move with this prompt for ChatGPT.
“I am organizing a pay rise conversation with my [client/employer], based on working with them for [number] years and securing impressive results for the company over and above my role requirements, including [list your key achievements to date]. Based on this information, draft a polite and persuasive email requesting a meeting to propose a pay increase. The email should outline my significant contributions to the company’s growth and confidently request a face-to-face meeting on [date].”
Understand what you bring to the table
Rebecca Ann has seen people make the mistake of “throwing everything into the mix when negotiating pay,” and said “this can inadvertently create confusion.” Rather than making a lengthy list of bullet points and bumbling through them without a clear structure, go into this meeting prepared with the details of your key achievements and skills and how they relate to your one request. For each one, know the specifics. Know how it backs up your case. This will “focus everyone else involved in the negotiation,” said Rebecca Ann. Provide more information than required to ChatGPT, so it can sift through the details and bring clarity to your chat.
“In my pay rise meeting I want to make the case for a [salary/fee] increase with 3 strong arguments. Using the key achievements of my work in this role and information from my CV, extract the key information to outline these three distinct areas of discussion and create my leverage. My goal is to facilitate a clear and compelling meeting in which my [employer/client] agrees to increase my rate of pay.”
Plan ahead for counter-arguments
This won’t be the first time your client or employer has been asked for more money. They will likely have many questions in response to your request. To stand the best chance of success, not only do you need to understand what’s in it for them, and appeal to their best interests, but “you also need to understand the possible pitfalls, objections, and concerns around your request, and prepare your responses.” Rebecca Ann knows that “you win a case by countering the other side’s strongest argument, not just stating your own strongest point.” Create a win-win outcome with the following prompt.
“My goal is to be ready to address potential concerns or objections that my [client/employer] might have during this promotion negotiation. Further to the information provided so far, I believe I demonstrate the value I bring to the business by [describe 3 ways you add value to your client/employer]. Assume the role of a salary negotiator and open a dialogue where you ask questions, one by one, to understand why I should receive a salary increase. After every response I give, mark it out of 10 and suggest an improvement before asking another question. Continue this back and forth until I say STOP, and then summarize the conversation so I can revise and be prepared for the meeting.”
Negotiate a higher fee with ChatGPT: 5 persuasive prompts
If you suspect you could be paid more for your work, it can’t hurt to ask. Use these prompts to set up a fee or salary discussion that’s very likely to go your way. Create a clear timeline and work back from a specific date, then understand the rates your work could command. Set up the conversation with a strong email, then get clear on what you bring to the table. Plan for every counter argument so you’re not caught off guard. Swap your efforts for money at the rate you believe is correct.
