University of Idaho Professor Says This is the Proven way to Get a Bigger Raise

Most of us have been in that incredibly uncomfortable spot where you have to ask your boss for a raise. For some it may not be too nerve wracking for others, it can have weeks of lead up anxiety. I recently came across some wisdom from an Idaho Professor with a suggestion to try next time you are in a position to ask for a more money. Really this can work for a lot of difficult and uncomfortable positions in a work environment.

The other plus is it is 'proven' and it is nice and simple. Readers Digest says, "Todd J. Thorsteinson, a University of Idaho professor, conducted a series of negotiations with a group of participants, and found that the group that the “joke” group, who would ask for a salary astronomically higher than the actual projected compensation, would always end up leaving the discussion more financially well off than the control group."

So really can it be as simple as bring a little humor to the table and leave with bigger checks? Well according to this study... yes.

The article continues: "The difference wasn’t negligible: the control group left negotiations with an average starting salary of $32,463, while the “joke” group left negotiations with an average starting salary of $35,385."

Make a joke about wanting to be paid in a gazillion gems, or a million lightning bugs, or something ridiculous, just to see if you get your boss to crack a smile. This suggestion is of course dependent on your job situation, boss and your comfort level with giving off a joke or two but according to this study from University of Idaho's Todd Thorsteinson, it could mean an increase of as much as 9% over what you may have gotten otherwise... Worth a try right?!