When you have a better offer, present it to your manager as a difficult decision. Emphasize your loyalty and desire to stay, but explain the other offer is compelling. This approach opens a collaborative dialogue about your value and compensation rather than creating a confrontational standoff.
Chasing a bigger paycheck can lead to a role with less freedom and more oversight. Before accepting a higher offer, evaluate the non-monetary benefits of your current job, such as autonomy, flexibility, and a positive culture. A pay increase may not be worth the stress and misery of being micromanaged.
Smaller, founder-led businesses are often more resistant to increasing fixed costs like base salaries. Instead, propose a higher variable commission rate. This shows you're willing to bet on your own performance and aligns your incentives with the company's revenue goals, making it an easier negotiation for leadership to approve.
Instead of directly asking for a raise, top salespeople should request better opportunities like bigger accounts or higher-quality leads. This frames the conversation around driving more revenue, which speaks a sales manager's language and demonstrates a focus on performance over entitlement, making it a more effective negotiation tactic.