The moment you have the most leverage is when you’re least likely to use it
Most people think the offer is the finish line. It’s not, according to one author and podcaster.
Hi there, my friend.
As I’ve said many times here at Ask, Save, Earn, you have way more power over your money than you think you do.
Often when I talk about that power, I’m talking about the power to pay less and keep more of your hard-earned money. However, your power isn’t just about saving money. It is also about making more.
In this week’s Ask, Save, Earn, we focus on a key moment in your financial life when you have more leverage than you realize. Unfortunately, though, it’s also the moment when you’re most likely to stay quiet.
It’s when you get a job offer.
The most expensive “yes” you’ll ever say
I’ve spent years talking about how powerful it can be to ask the right questions, whether you’re negotiating a lower credit card interest rate, reducing a medical bill or doing countless other tasks.
Job offers are different, though. The stakes feel higher, and the risk feels bigger. For a lot of people, that fear leads them to do something costly: They accept the first offer.
In one of the interviews I did for my book, I spoke with Laura Adams, a financial expert, the host of the “Money Girl” podcast and the author of several books. She is someone who has worked in HR and seen the hiring process from the inside, and what she told me is something I wish everyone understood before they ever accepted a job offer.
“In a lot of cases,” Adams said, “the company would have paid higher salaries than what they were offering, but people would just immediately accept.”
The leverage you don’t realize you have
That’s the part most people never see. The number you’re given isn’t always the number they’re locked into. It’s often just the starting point.
“By the time they’ve made an offer, they’ve really chosen you,” Adams said. “That’s when you have the most leverage.”
Read that again.
They’ve really chosen you.
They’ve reviewed countless resumes, done bunches of interviews, compared you to other candidates, and they ultimately picked you to make an offer to.
That doesn’t mean you can demand anything you want, of course. It does mean that, at that point, the balance of power is tilted more in your direction than at any other point in the process. The problem is that most people feel the exact opposite in that moment.
Why people stay quiet anyway
Instead of feeling empowered, they feel scared. They worry that if they ask for more, the offer might disappear. They worry about seeming difficult or ungrateful. They worry about losing the opportunity altogether.
They worry too much, Adams said.
“In no case have I ever seen a company say, ‘You asked for more, never mind, we’re rescinding the offer’.”
Of course, it is possible to overplay your hand. If they offer $50,000 and you counter with $150,000, for example, it could leave a bad impression. In most cases, however, that fear that keeps people from asking just isn’t grounded in reality.
It is easy to give in to that fear, though. Believe me, I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit. I absolutely, positively know that I’ve left money on the table over the years because I didn’t push. I also know, as a former manager, that the first offer is rarely final.
What is real is the money people leave on the table by staying silent. A few thousand dollars here or there might not feel life-changing in the moment, but over time, it compounds in a big way. Ideally, every new salary determines the floor for future salary negotiations. The higher you can make that floor, the better.
The “We’ll revisit this later” trap
There’s another trap that people fall into, too.
Sometimes companies will say something like, “We’ll revisit your salary in six months.” It sounds reassuring, but as Adams pointed out, that doesn’t always play out the way people expect.
“They’ll say, ‘We’ll have a review in six months,’ and then six months comes and goes, and it doesn’t happen,” she said.
Priorities change, budgets shift, managers move on. Suddenly, that future raise you were counting on vanishes, too.
“The only way to shortcut that,” Adams said, “is to ask for it upfront.”
What to do instead
The negotiations don’t need to be aggressive or turn into a big confrontation, but they do need to happen.
You’re not being difficult or needy. Instead, you’re stepping into a moment where you have more leverage than you think, and using it.
Here are a few simple ways to approach it:
1. Always counter politely and specifically. Even if the offer seems fair, it’s almost always worth asking if there’s flexibility. Something as simple as “Is there any room to move on the base salary?” can open the door.
2. Focus on your worth, not your feelings. Tie your request to your experience, skills, or market data rather than just what you want. This keeps the conversation professional and makes it easier for them to say yes. Plus, it has never been easier to find this information. Sites like GlassDoor can be incredibly helpful, but also, people are more willing than ever to share their salary information with their peers. That can be really useful in understanding what to ask for.
3. Don’t rely on future promises. If something matters to you, whether it is salary, title, remote flexibility, whatever, lock it in now. As Adams said, “We’ll revisit this later” is not a guarantee.
4. Focus on what you can gain rather than what you’re scared to lose. Again, in most cases, you’re not risking the offer by asking. However, you are risking leaving money on the table if you don’t.
What’s on your mind?
It’s a crazy time. What’s your biggest financial worry or goal right now? I’d love to hear what it is, what you’re doing about it and if I might be able to help. Share in the comments below or send me a message in the app. I’m always happy to listen and help.
Until next time!
Matt
Awesome article! I'll keep this in my back pocket as I have some potential negotiating coming up. I'm not even sure how to voice my biggest financial worry at the moment - because it feels like EVERYTHING! Prices are high for everything and it has my family thinking about even more things to cut back on as a recurring expense even if they are good investments for us (ex. pet insurance, moving to an HYSA for medical insurance even though we have more of a need for PPO, etc.).