How to Negotiate Salary Without Undervaluing Yourself
Negotiating salary without undervaluing yourself is not about conflict—it’s about clarity, preparation, and confidence. In a competitive market, it’s those who understand their worth, research thoroughly, practice their ask, and approach negotiations strategically who shift outcomes.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko
Negotiating salary is one of the most pivotal moments in any professional’s journey. It is the moment when you define how the market values you—not just your skills, but your confidence, your accomplishments, and your potential. Too often, people accept the first number offered, or lowball themselves out of respect, fear, or lack of information. Undervaluation is not just lost income; it sets up a pattern that can persist for years. For job seekers in Nigeria, where employment opportunities are competitive and compensation often lags behind inflation, mastering salary negotiation is essential.
The foundation of a strong negotiation begins long before the offer letter is on the table. It starts with rigorous self-assessment and market research. Know the skills you bring—technical, soft, unique—and how they translate into value for the employer. Have you led projects, increased revenue, improved processes, saved costs, or delivered results under pressure? Be able to quantify them.
At the same time, understand what others in similar roles are earning. Tools such as Jobberman, Glassdoor, LinkedIn and surveys of your industry and location are vital. Salary ranges for similar titles in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt can vary widely; knowing the local benchmark grounds your expectations in reality rather than guesswork. According to KashGain’s guide for negotiating pay, professionals who align their ask with industry standard and local cost norms have far better outcomes.
Part of assessing value also means knowing your “walk-away” number—the lowest salary you can accept without harming your financial stability. If you accept too little now, future raises are anchored on a weak baseline. Do not reveal that minimum during the negotiation; instead use it to protect your boundaries.
When you bring up salary makes a difference. It is far stronger to negotiate after an official offer, when the employer has committed in principle. If you raise compensation demands too early, before they are invested in hiring you, you risk being perceived as overly focused on money rather than fit. Experts advise waiting until expectations are clearly set or until the offer is made.
How you frame your negotiation also matters. Rather than “I need more money”, speak in terms of what you bring and what you can contribute. Use language around impact, responsibility, growth. For example: “Based on the results I delivered in X, plus market data for similar roles here in Lagos, I believe a salary in the range of ₦X-₦Y aligns with what I can bring to this role.” Framing the conversation in terms of value instills confidence and makes it harder for the hiring party to dismiss your request.
Moreover, give yourself room to negotiate. Rather than supplying a single fixed number, offer a reasonable range. This prevents you from anchoring too low, while still showing flexibility. Many salary negotiation guides—including those targeted at professionals—recommend this strategy to avoid getting stuck with the first offer.
Being ready means more than just having a number in mind. It means gathering evidence: your achievements, testimonials, performance metrics. Come to the table knowing how your contributions have positively affected outcomes—be it revenue, efficiency, customer satisfaction, or innovation. When you can talk concretely, you sound credible, grounded, and hard to dismiss.
Practice matters. Role-play the negotiation with a friend or mentor. Anticipate objections: “we don’t have that kind of budget”, “we don’t typically pay that high for someone with X experience”, etc. Planning responses helps you stay composed. Using mock negotiations to refine your script also reduces anxiety. Nigerian job-seekers who rehearse often report feeling more confident and better able to stay calm during actual conversations.
Mind your body language, tone, and demeanor. Confidence is not arrogance but clarity and presence. Speak clearly, maintain eye contact, sit upright. Humility combined with assertiveness often carries more weight than aggression or passive acceptance.
Don’t Neglect the Full Package
Sometimes employers cannot move much on base salary. When that is the case, looking at the entire compensation package—bonuses, allowances (transport, housing, risk), healthcare, leave, training, signing bonuses—can preserve value. A slightly lower base salary with generous allowances or performance bonuses might outperform a higher base with none of those perks.
Also ask about growth opportunities and review frequency. If the company cannot meet your desired figure now, can you agree on a performance review in six months? Can salary be tied to specific deliverables or milestones? This shifts the conversation from what you are paid now to how you can grow. Many negotiation failures stem not from asking for too much, but from failing to agree on what “next steps” will look like.
Finally, negotiate respectfully and firmly. Be appreciative of the offer, express enthusiasm about the role, but do not undercut your ask with apologies or faint praise. Employers expect negotiation—it signals you believe in your own capacity. If you act professionally, even a counteroffer request that’s declined rarely harms long-term relationship, especially if done well.
Sometimes, the best answer is walking away. If the highest offer does not cover your minimum viable needs—considering cost of living, dependants, transport, housing—it may be worse to accept a lower salary and suffer long-term burnout or financial stress. Accepting undervaluation sends a message—to you and the market—that your work is worth less.
Declining should be done respectfully: thank the employer, express appreciation for the offer, and perhaps leave the door open for reconsideration. Doing so preserves reputation. Many professionals who initially decline low offers later re-enter under better terms; what matters is choosing when self-respect outweighs immediate employment.
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