Pay raises: How to wage a successful campaign

(CNN) -- Timing can be everything when asking for a raise.

For example: You survive a nail-biting round of layoffs as your company cuts costs to keep up with fierce global competition. Worst time possible to ask for a raise, right?

Not so fast, says salary expert Jack Chapman. This might be the very best time to make a case for more compensation. "If they kept you, they kept you for a reason," says Chapman, a Chicago-based consultant who coaches executives worldwide on salary negotiations.

High-priced "gold-brick" executives and underperforming deadwood employees are the ones first shown the door during a layoff; the survivors are hard-working earners for the company who will be taking on additional tasks and responsibilities after the shakeout, says Chapman, author of "Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1,000 a Minute."

A strong argument could be made for salary increase for extra duties, which is still a cost savings for the company compared to hiring and training additional employees.

"Explain that you want to be part of the (company's) turnaround," he suggests. If your employer is not amendable to an immediate salary jump, negotiate a retroactive increase based on performance over a fixed period of time.

"That's a very reasonable thing to ask for," Chapman says. "It's very unlikely they would view you in a bad light (for asking)."

Asking for a salary increase is often the most nerve-wracking request in the best of times. "Generally speaking, people often negotiate better for other entities (such as the company or clients) than for themselves," Chapman says.

It's important to keep personal confidence high before seeking a raise. Chapman recommends keeping a journal of duties, goals met or exceeded, and other accomplishments on the job.

But knowing you're worth more remuneration "is only half of the equation," Chapman says. It's important your superiors know about it, too -- and that you and your boss are measuring your performance by the same yardstick.

Months before a salary review, Chapman suggests breaking down elements of your job and grading them by both importance and execution. Next, meet with your boss and make sure your assumptions are correct.

"For example, I had a client who's part of her job was turning in progress reports to her boss ... it was a bureaucratic job she didn't like and didn't think was very important, so she gave it a 'C' grade (in terms of priority)," he says.

However, when she compared notes with her boss she was surprised to learn he ranked the task an 'A' priority. Why? "It was important to him because it was information he needed to show to his boss whether he got a bonus or not," Chapman recalls.

This illustrates an important point for negotiating a raise: Understand how you can help your boss get a raise. "For you to be successful, your job is to make (your boss) successful," he says. "That's the attitude you want to have." E-mail to a friend

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