Far too many employees make the mistake of assuming they have managed to avoid the fundamental reality of economics because they have a full-time job and a predictable set of responsibilities with a steady paycheck attached. Nothing could be further from the truth. While some people find a job that is stable, in a world where economics and prices of rent, etc. are changing, it is important to be able to ask for a raise. Everything is subject to change, and that means employees have to be on the lookout for opportunity and have the initiative and skill to quickly take advantage.

One of the most common forms of opportunity is the timely raise. An employee’s value grows over time. A raise is how you get compensated for it.

Sell

No matter what kind of job you have or what career you aspire to, you must learn to sell. Getting a raise is nothing more complicated than deciding to sell yourself. How much better are you now than you were then? What have you learned? How have you applied your new knowledge to the task of creating value, increasing revenue and decreasing costs for your employer? How do you communicate that effectively?

All of these questions can be answered by someone with commensurate skills in sales. Learn to acquire and perfect these skills and you’ll be on your way to a higher income bracket.

Document

Most employers are only going to have a general idea how much value you bring to the company. This is why you need to develop a case for yourself and have the documentation to back it up. Do the research. Focus your information gathering on the tasks that you can prove have a demonstrable and bankable effect on your employer’s business. Making money is more important than saving money, but there is no reason both shouldn’t be part of your pitch. Just be sure you can document both.

Blue Sky

Sell the future wherever you can. All money-making comes down to telling a story, because that’s what people buy. They don’t buy detergent. They buy future clean clothes. They don’t buy shoes. They buy how those shoes make them look and feel. All money making depends entirely on sales, and sales depend on stories. You have to tell a good story about your future with the company. That will be worth what you ask for in return.

Getting a raise is about storytelling and sales. Make sure you’re good at both and make sure you can document the results. That will give you the best chance of success.