When I transitioned from agency work to a client-side role years ago, the compensation package excited me. It featured a stronger base salary along with improved annual and long-term bonus opportunities.

I reviewed the details with my mentor during dinner at a seafood spot along the Chicago River.

He urged me never to accept the first proposal. At age 30 the suggestion surprised me and raised fears that pushing back could cause the employer to withdraw the offer entirely. I asked how to handle what seemed like an awkward conversation.

He calmly dipped a shrimp in sauce and replied that salary talks carry no inherent tension beyond what we create in our minds.

His guidance was to offer one brief statement and stop: Can you do any better on the base?

That single line ultimately added tens of thousands of dollars to my earnings across my career.

I made repeated errors when evaluating compensation packages

Prior to receiving this advice I handled job offers poorly on several occasions.

In my final week of college I waited anxiously for my first employment proposal because it would determine whether I could relocate to Chicago for a marketing position or return to my parents home.

The recruiter reached me during a Milwaukee Brewers game while I held a beer and hot dog. I passed the food to a friend and hurried into a noisy restroom to take the call.

I accepted the terms almost immediately without full attention and started at $27,500 annually with modest yearly raises over five years. Later I discovered other new hires had negotiated up to $30,000.

I now apply the same short question to every new assignment

After 25 years in the industry I speak up when I believe the workload exceeds the pay.

As a part-time freelancer I have used the approach with editors. One recent assignment came with an unexpectedly low rate given the research and writing involved. I wrote to ask if the rate could improve and received a doubled offer within minutes.

Requesting fair pay has removed lingering uncertainty. I no longer wonder about the outcome of self-advocacy and instead proceed with confidence that I am compensated at the upper end of my value.

I have also evaluated candidates from the other side

As my responsibilities grew I began extending offers and noticed many applicants skip negotiation entirely.

Others send lengthy messages filled with personal reasons for needing higher pay which can appear inexperienced. A concise one-line request would serve them better and project greater professionalism.

The approach delivers value even when pay stays the same

The phrase does not increase compensation in every instance. Some employers decline outright.

One organization kept the base salary unchanged yet added executive benefits covering gym fees internet service and certain travel costs. Without the request I would have continued covering my own phone expenses.

Each time I voiced the question I affirmed my own worth which proved equally meaningful regardless of the final numbers.

Andrea Javor is a Chicago-based marketing executive and writer currently completing a memoir.