How to Ask 'AND GET' a Raise. AND what to do if your boss says NO.

We all probably feel like we aren't being paid enough in whatever job we do.  Especially if we work hard, take shifts when asked, stay late and deal with especially difficult clients, customers or patients.  I work in a busy dental office with typically two dental assistants, three hygienists and two receptionists per dentist.  This can add up to a lot of people!  They all work extremely hard and we deal with a lot of fun and sometimes difficult patients throughout the day.  

Our job isn't a typical 9-5.  Sometimes we work evenings and when we have emergencies we could miss a lunch or dinner.  If a patient arrives late, this means we are 20 minutes behind and possibly for the rest of the day - meaning upset patients that we have to deal with.  A dental office typically makes good money because we are in healthcare, we take care of individuals health and when they leave we know we did the best we could for them.  We deserve to get paid accordingly right?


I work only part time in a dental office because I own Dentalelle Tutoring full time and Office Elle Solutions.  This keeps me busy enough and I pay myself, making sure I get paid what I am worth :). BUT when you work for someone else you need to make sure you ask for a raise at least every 2 years...

If you don't ask for a raise you likely won't get one.  A few key pointers to ask for a raise tomorrow.  Ask and hopefully you shall receive!

1.  Have a plan
- Be sure to show your boss what you bring into the office.  No matter what job you have, you should be making the office money.  Whether at a bank, retail job, dental office, etc.  How many new clients do you bring in?  How much to you make the office per day?  Per week or month?  If you can show your boss clear numbers of the money you are making, how could they say no to a raise?

2.  Alternatives
-If your boss says no to a raise - offer alternatives.  You could say "Ok fair enough, but can we talk about this in three months after I implement areas you feel I need to improve and we can discuss this again?"  OR "Ok, but instead I would like an additional few days or weeks vacation since I have been here for ___ years."  OR  "Ok, then I would like to pick up an extra 5 hours per week and can we talk about the raise again in 6 months?".  Anything along those lines will give your boss an alternative and he/she has to say YES to one of those :).

3.  Bigger and better
-When asking for a raise, also mention what you plan to do in the future and keep doing.  Simply bringing up your past performances may not be enough, mention to your boss what you want to continue doing and in the future to continue to improve.  If you arrive early everyday and stay late let your boss know.  He or she probably doesn't notice and will appreciate your extra efforts.  

4. No begging
-DO NOT BEG!  I repeat - do not beg!  Your boss doesn't care you have credit card debt, doesn't care you just bought a house or are sending your kids to college.  Be confident and start off with how much you love the company, how long you have been there, that you are loyal, how much you can bring to the company, etc.

These are a few simple tips and bottom line think before you ask for a raise.  Wait for the right time and make it hard for your boss to say no!  Show confidence and proof of your hard work.  IF he/she says no, you can easily ask what you can do for a raise in 6 months...he/she will have to come up with something and once you do what they ask VOILA raise time in 6 months :).