Don't Settle for That Lowball Offer – Here's How to Get the Salary You Deserve
As a 20-year career coaching veteran, I've guided thousands of professionals through the job search process. And let me tell you, one of the most frustrating situations is when you finally get that job offer… only for the salary to be insultingly low. I'm talking about a "lowball" offer that makes you question if the employer even values your skills and experience.
That's exactly what happened to Harold, one of our clients at Work It DAILY. After acing multiple interviews, the company he wanted to join made him an offer that was at least 20% below his market value. Harold felt demoralized but didn't want to risk losing the opportunity altogether.
Stay Calm and Know Your Worth 🧘
The first piece of advice I gave Harold: do not show your frustration or anger. As tempting as it is to fire off an indignant email, that aggressive approach rarely works in your favor. Remember, this is a negotiation game – and the first person who gets flustered loses.
Instead, I instructed Harold to very calmly and confidently state the minimum salary he would accept for the role. He practiced saying something like, "While I'm excited about this opportunity, I cannot accept less than $XX,XXX for this position." Delivering this line smoothly and without emotion reinforces that you understand your worth.
Highlight Their Strengths and Your Value
Next, Harold needed to remind the employer why they were so eager to hire him in the first place. So we had him prepare:
Three reasons why he loves the company and would be thrilled to join their team
Three key ways he would deliver immense value once in the role
He then worked these positive affirmations into his response, suggesting he was disappointment they couldn't align on compensation "because I was really looking forward to accomplishing X, Y, and Z for your team."
Prove You're the Solution They Need 🫵
Finally, Harold created a "catastrophe table" as a follow-up email after declining their initial offer. This table outlines:
All the core duties and requirements for the role
The potential costs/risks if those responsibilities are mishandled
How Harold's background and expertise directly maps to preventing those issues
While packaged politely, this "catastrophe table" shows the company: "Here's exactly how I'll solve your problems and generate ROI that justifies investing in me." It's a final, objective reminder of the value you'd deliver as their hire.
By respectfully declining their lowball offer while keeping the door open and reinforcing your worth, you position yourself as the truth "one who got away." And in my two decades of experience, that approach often brings employers back with a stronger, fairer offer they simply couldn't ignore.
Get the Salary You Deserve
Harold followed my three-part strategy to a T, and just two weeks later, the company called back with a revised offer that met his initial expectations. He avoided getting short-changed while keeping his candidacy alive.
If you've been undervalued with a lowball offer, don't meekly accept it out of desperation. You deserve better, and with the right negotiation skills, you can command the salary you're worth.
Sign up for Work It DAILY's FREE 7-day trial to gain unlimited access to expert career coaches like me. We'll ensure you never undersell yourself again when that ideal job opportunity arises.
Go get ‘em!
J.T. O’Donnell
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