It's About the Bottom Line: The Cold Truth about How to Ask For What You Want
It’s a great day to get some valuable advice. And Samí Haiman-Marrero, the brains behind the company, Urbander, has a lot of it to share. In Part One, you got a primer on how she gets what she wants. Now, in Part Two, you get the blueprint, plus more details on how she negotiates.
Specifically, in today’s newsletter, you’ll learn the following:
🌴How your “ask” or negotiations need to be framed in corporate America
🌴How to assess what you bring to the table
🌴A real-life example of how, even in dire circumstances, Haiman-Marrero negotiated for what she wanted
🌴Read on to get valuable advice from the founder and president of Urbander, Samí Haiman-Marrero:
UNDERVALUED IN THE WORKPLACE? PAUSE AND DO A SELF-ASSESSMENT
Samí Haiman-Marrero says there was a time when she just wasn’t being valued in the workplace the way she thought she should be.
“I was completely overlooked for promotions. They kept on bringing people from other places, right? And I was right there doing the work.”
She kept trying to figure out the disconnect.
“And it was, like, what the heck is going on?”
Then, she met a woman named Bette Rockmore who pulled her aside.
FOCUS ON THE BOTTOM LINE
Rockmore mentored Haiman-Marrero and taught her “the rules of the game and how to play chess in the corporate world. And, basically, how to think like white men or… how to participate in these conversations with that mindset.”
Haiman-Marrero says Rockmore told her she needed to learn how to articulate her worth and value by focusing on the bottom line.
“Just get to it and connect the dots to revenue. Or savings. There’s only two ways you affect the bottom line, right? Either you’re saving the company money, or you’re bringing in money, right?”
Otherwise, she told her, “You’re just… there.”
So how do you go about figuring out your worth and value?
GET TO THE POINT
Rockmore told her to “develop a rationale. And not with elaborate, long-winded [explanations]. No.”
Put it all down on one page.
And take inventory every quarter.
“Sit down, look back and say, ‘Okay, what… have I been doing this past quarter that I could articulate into something that either saved money for the company - or brought in revenue in some way? How can I link that?’”
She says that, sometimes, it requires some creativity to draw the link.
NETWORKING ISN’T JUST AN “OUTSIDE” ACTIVITY
She learned that it also requires finding allies.
“Talking to other departments to see how you… affect or can contribute, right? And just be a team player…”
In other words, Haiman-Marrero says she learned that “networking within the company is just as important as networking outside.”
So is negotiating what you deserve.
CASE STUDY: HOW HAIMAN-MARRERO GOT HER FIRST CLIENT
Haiman-Marrero put into practice the art of negotiations when she decided to go out on her own and start her own communications agency.
It was even more critical because she had reached out to 300 of her contacts when she first opened her business.
Nothing.
Not a single person called her back with work for her.
Things were looking grim.
“We almost lost our house. We stopped paying the mortgage because I was, like, ‘Okay, do I buy food or do I pay the mortgage?’ And then it came to a point where we were doing food shopping with a credit card. We maxed them out. It was a hot mess. Let’s just say, my credit was shot.”
SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO MAKE MONEY
Because she traveled so much when she was working at her previous job, she had hired a nanny. After four months of no work as an entrepreneur, even the nanny asked her, “Is this it?”
Haiman-Marrero said, “No, I need you more than ever because I need to hustle…”
EXPRESSING YOUR EMOTIONS (IN A HEALTHY WAY) CAN HELP YOU ALLEVIATE STRESS
She remembers, “I lost it! And everyone was worried. My husband and [nanny] broke down. I remember, I was in my bedroom. And I’m a person of faith. You know, I grew up in the church…. I have my flaws and all of that. Lord knows I have a lot of work to do.”
Haiman-Marrero broke down and was on her knees pleading to God for help.
Two days later, she got a call.
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS BUILT OVER TIME
The call was from a longtime friend, Lara Wachs, who was two days away from going on a long-awaited two-week African safari.
Her friend’s marketing manager had just quit on her in the middle of planning season.
So Wachs reached out to Haiman-Marrero because she knew her work ethic and asked if she could help her.
EVEN IN DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES, DON’T LOSE YOUR LEVERAGE: ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT
Haiman-Marrero answered, “Absolutely. I’ll help you - under one condition… You give me a 3-month contract.”
Her friend’s answer?
“Give me 10 minutes. I’ll call you right back.”
Her friend called her back and said, “I [scraped] up all of my remaining budget for the rest of the year. It’s $13,500. I know it’s not much. But it’s all yours. For the love of God, say yes that you’re gonna cover for me so I can start sending you all this stuff. And then we’ll start renegotiating… in January with the new budget…”
And that’s how Haiman-Marrero got her first client.
INSPIRATION FOR THIS ISSUE:
Tell it to me straight.
That’s how I like people, in work or in my personal life, to communicate to me.
I don’t need sugar-coating.
I just want people to level with me. I tend to respect those who are straight-shooters much more.
The journalists I’ve mentored over the years know I don’t pull punches when I critique their work or give them an honest assessment of a situation.
I’ve noticed that, even if they’re not thrilled to hear what I have to say, they appreciate the feedback.
I think it’s because they know I really am looking out for them and truly want them to succeed.
As you can probably tell, Samí Haiman-Marrero doesn’t beat around the bush or varnish the truth with flowery language.
She knows how to cut-to-the-chase and get her message across – in a way that’s all her own.
Sure, when you’re giving someone bad news, you do need to be diplomatic. There’s no need to offend.
But there is something to be said for framing what you want in stark terms, especially when dealing with C-suite executives.
They don’t have a lot of time.
So the quicker you get to the point and tell them, in the simplest way possible, how you can help their bottom line, the better off you are.
You’ve done them, and yourself, a favor.
I wanted to share Samí’s advice because she has a way of making you sit up and take notice in a way that’s authentic.
Also, the advice she gives doesn’t just apply if you’re working for someone.
I would argue it’s even more valuable if you’re a small business owner and are trying to make a sale.
Be direct with how your goods or services will benefit someone, especially if you’re making the pitch to another business owner or manager.
Yes, personalized service is a key way that many small business owners differentiate themselves among their competitors.
But, as Samí learned from her mentor, Bette Rockmore, “It’s about the bottom line.”
That’s the language corporate America speaks.
You’d be well-served to learn that language. #theskyisNOTthelimit
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