How to Ask for a Raise

How to Ask for a Raise How to Ask for a Raise Building Your Case 7 Steps to Asking for That RaiseAsking for a raise is no easy task. Be confident in your value, and prepare your argument with these steps.Youre good at your job and you like what you do. The only problem is youre simply not making as much money as you think youre worth. Thats okay. Theres a good chance that youre right.Its always nerve-wracking to go to the anfhrer and begin negotiating a raise. However, if you take these seven crucial steps before having that meeting, you can boost your confidence and your chances of getting the bump in pay that you deserve. Heres what to do to learn how to ask for a raiseStep 1 Review company policyBefore negotiating a raise, take a little time to review your companys policy on raises. If your company has it clearly defined in the handbook that raises are only permitted during annual reviews, you know that youre in a bad spot. You can still go for it, but youll have to address that i ssue directly and present a reason why your case is outside the scope of those guidelines.Step 2 Consider your recent (and future) performanceHave you been killing it lately? Not just for a week or two, but have you put together a few months of work that is clearly above and beyond your established role? What do your colleagues think? If you have received kudos, awards, and compliments lately, log them and use them as evidence in your favor. If you really want to wow the boss, present your ideas of how your work is going to get even better and help the bottom line in the months to come. The mora you can quantify your value to the company, the easier it will be for your boss to justify spending a little more on you.Step 3 Research market dataSo you feel like you are underpaid. Are you really? Learning how to ask for a raise means you need to know this before the big conversation. Check out websites like Salary.com or Payscale.com to check out the market data and discover what your po sition typically earns. Dont overlook the market that you are in. Cost of living, competition for jobs, and market size all factor into the pay scale for your position. If you discover that youre already on the higher end of the pay scale for your job, you may need to consider other options. Perhaps theres a promotion waiting for you.Step 4 Consider the timingNegotiating a raise isnt about you. This is about the other factors at your workplace. How is your company doing as a whole? Are profits on an upswing? You want to make your request when the going is good. Asking for an increase in pay when things arent going well for the company could be disastrous. You also want to consider the timing for your boss. If your boss is going through a difficult time, whether at the office or at home, you may want to wait until things relax a bit. Always aim for happy times when asking for that bump in pay.Step 5 Prepare for the objectionsWhen learning how to ask for a raise, Its time to think lik e a lawyer. If you are going to present your case as to why you deserve more money, you have to be ready for the opposing side to present reasons why they can say no. For instance, if they say Its a bad economy right now, but you know that your companys profits are way up, you can suggest that you are a big part of the reason that your company is defying the economy (but only if thats true).The more prepared you are for negotiating a raise, the easier it will be for you to have a calm and rational conversation.Step 6 Have a Plan B (and maybe C)Youve done your best, but a salary raise has been completely ruled out. Now what? Be prepared with other ideas that could make you happy. Would a few more days of vacation time work? Perhaps you could create some sort of bonus or incentive program with clearly defined objectives? Put some thought into what could make you happier at your job besides just a bump in pay. You may not end up with the raise you wanted, but you could still come out a head.Step 7 Be prepared for noWhat if you dont get the raise and the boss doesnt go for plan B or C either? Are you preparedtoupdate your resume and leave the company? Will you be okay with the status quo? You dont have to tell your boss what youre thinking, but you do need to have a plan because its always a possibility. Think it through and be ready to follow through if that situation should happen.Negotiating a pay raise is a tough thing to do. You have to be confident in your work and have the ability to sell the value that you bring to your company. The more prepared you are before you have that meeting, the better your chances of success. Its your career, go ahead and take charge of itReady to write the next chapter of your career? Hire a TopResume writer todayRecommended Reading5 PhrasesYou Should Never Use When Negotiating SalaryHow to Know When to Quit Your Job and When to Love It AgainHow to Handle the Dreaded Salary Question During Interviews

Delivering Persuasive Presentations

Delivering Persuasive PresentationsDelivering Persuasive PresentationsBrian Tracy went from rags to riches and has seen countless others follow that path, primarily by learning the steps in a sales cycle. It all starts with prospecting. Without effective (and frequent) prospecting, the sales cycle will stall. After prospecting, successful salespeople build trust and rapport. Once trust is established, its time to move on to identifying needs. Without having identified needs, both realized and unrealized, your chances for success greatly diminish. The next step in the sales cycle is learning how to deliver effective and persuasive presentations. As Brain Tracy stated, presentations should progredienz from the general to the specific. Follow the Path Persuasive presentations need to have a beginning, middle, and an end, and they must follow apre-designed path. The best way to visualize a presentations path is to see the beginning or opening of the presentation as the time to discus s the generalities of your solution. These could include an overview of your company (focusing primarily on how your businesss history and experience can create a positive impression on your customer.) The middle could be when you discuss identified needs and an overview of your solution. The ending may focus on specifics of your solution, how your company can best fulfill your customers needs, next steps and, of course closing the sale. Each presentation will be and should be different from all others, but follow a similar path. Winging it should never be your strategy when delivering a presentation. Trial Closes If you plan and logically organize each step of your presentation, not only will your customer be better able to follow the presentation, but doing so will also allow you the opportunity to trial close after each step before moving on to the next step. Trial closes are simple questions that not only give you a chance to take your customers buying temperature, but also gain their commitment to move to the next step. Trial closes can be as simple as asking your customer Do you agree with what weve covered so far? Trial closes are also great ways to uncover any objections that your customer may have. Often, customer objections are never presented until the final close. When this happens, it is often too late to save the opportunity. Getting customer objections out during the presentation allows you to more immediately address the objections and affords you time to either redesign your end solution or consult with your sales manager or fellow sales professionals on methods to overcome the objection. One or Many If you are confident with your presentation skills, going it alone allows you to control the flow and tempo of the presentation and eliminates the possibility of your customer disliking one of your presenters. Going it alone is usually the best choice if you have established a strong and positive rapport with your customers, but is not a good idea if your rapport is lacking. You should also think about asking co-workers to join your presentation if your presentation skills are weak or if your presentation involves technical discussions that are behind your skills set. One important thing to keep in mind for those who are presenting technical presentations Make koranvers that your technical specialist does not use tech jargon that your customers wont understand or that your customers are tech-savvy. Your Location If your office is either located in the basement of your home or an office building last renovated in 1974, you may want to consider hosting your presentation at an off-site location. Many hotels have meeting rooms that can be rented out and can help create a positive impression on your customer. Never just go on reviews when it comes to choosing a location. You need to visit any location you are considering and make koranvers that the presentation room meets your and your customers expected standards. Y ouve put in a lot of work to get to this stage of the sales cycle so why risk it by not making sure that your presentation location is one that will assist your efforts and not detract from them. Lastly, be aware that going overboard with your location may deliver the opposite effect of your intention. Bringing customers, who are price-conscious to a lavish meeting room, where you spare no expense, may lead them to believe that you are either trying to buy their business or that you have built a lot of profit into your deal.

Finding the Best Veterinary Scholarships

Finding the Best Veterinary ScholarshipsFinding the Best Veterinary ScholarshipsAttending veterinary school is an expensive proposition, but there are many scholarships available to help defray the cost.Here are some of the scholarships that may be of interest to veterinary students. Scholarships and Financial Aid for Veterinary Students Please note that while we have focused primarily on nationally available scholarship opportunities, there are many additional options focused on residents of specific states or attendees of specific colleges. American Association of Bovine PractitionersThe AABP offers 14 Bovine Veterinary Student Recognition Awards each year.Students may apply for the $1,500 awards during their second or third year of study.Award recipients are selected based on academic achievement, interest in bovine medicine, work experience, career goals, and recommendations.Applications are due March 15. American Association of Equine Practitioners Zoetis ScholarshipThe AAE P Zoetis offer $4,000 scholarships to veterinary students with an interest in pursuing a career in equine medicine.Students may apply in the spring semester of their fourth year of study. American Kennel ClubThe American Kennel Club has awarded scholarships to veterinary students for more than 20 years.Each AVMA-accredited vet school in the U.S. nominates four candidates for the awards.Candidates are selected based on academic achievement, interest in purebred dogs, and financial need.Awards generally range from $2,000 to $7,000. American Veterinary Medical Foundation ScholarshipsThe AVMF awards scholarships to veterinary students in their first three years of study (amounts may vary).Additional scholarships are available, including a womens scholarship ($500) and a feline scholarship ($2,500).Applications are due May 15.The AVMF also partners with Zoetis and Merck for scholarship programs that begin accepting applications in the fall. Markel AAEP Foundation ScholarshipsMarkel Insu rance Company and the American Association of Equine Practitioners have partnered to offer eight $2,500 scholarships to veterinary students planning to practice equine medicine.The winners also receive a $300 travel stipend to attend the AAEP Convention where they accept the award.Students must apply during the fall semester of their fourth year of study. Morris Animal Foundation ScholarshipsThe Morris Animal Foundations Veterinary Student Scholars program is designed for veterinary students with an interest in clinical research.Stipends of up to $4,000 are awarded to students who complete 10- to 12-week research projects. Oxbow Animal Health ScholarshipsOxbow Animal Health offers two $500 scholarships for veterinary technicians with an interest in small animal and exotic animal medicine.A $1,000 scholarship is available to veterinary students with an interest in exotic animal medicine.Applications must be postmarked by March 1 and recipients are announced May 1. Race for Education AAEP ScholarshipsThe Race for Education (in partnership with the American Association of Equine Practitioners) offers the Winners Circle scholarship program for third-year veterinary students with an interest in equine veterinary medicine.The awards range from $1,500 to $5,000 for fourth-year veterinary costs.Students must apply directly to their local SCAAEP (Student Chapter of the American Association of Equine Practitioners).One scholarship will be awarded in each of the 36 SCAAEP jurisdictions. Simmons Educational Fund geschftliches miteinander Aptitude AwardThe SEF awards a $3,000 scholarship to a third-year veterinary student from each U.S. veterinary school.Students must submit an essay related to the business concerns of private practice.One winner, judged to have the top essay overall, also receives a $15,000 award and a free trip to attend the North American Veterinary Conference. U.S. Army Veterinary Corps Health Professions Scholarship ProgramThe U.S. Army HPSP offers f ull-tuition scholarships and monthly stipends for veterinary students who commit to three years of active duty.Applicants must be full-time veterinary students (and maintain this full-time status), hold United States citizenship, attend an accredited U.S. veterinary college, and meet all eligibility requirements to become a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. Veterinary Scholarship Trust of New EnglandVSTONE distributes a variety of scholarships and awards to residents of New England that are studying veterinary medicine.The trust has funded more than 500 students since its inception in 1958.Third- and fourth-year veterinary students may apply for $5,000 scholarships through the program.One winner will be selected from each of the six New England states.Applications are due December 1.