What salary should I specify?

[bluepoole]

Fellow members, please give me advice...

One of my suppliers wants to make me an offer to work for them. They are a company in the USA and sell aircraft parts. I have dealt with them for a long time, know and trust them, and would love to work for them. Due to growth, they want to appoint a dedicated agent to oversee business here in South Africa (and also Africa in general)

They want to pay me a decent basic salary and will then also pay commission on sales. They have now asked me what salary I require. Now it is the old worry again, if I ask too little, I shoot myself in the foot. Ask too much, and they lose interest. Problem is, I have no idea what such a position is worth. Obviously I will be paid in US dollars.

Is there an international website I could consult to get an idea of a fair salary for such a job? Or would it be better to tell them that they must rather tell me what salary they had in mind?

 

[AlmightyBender]

You are at an advantage here because they know nothing about cost of living in ZA and you can ask for a good $ based salary. You could try glassdoor.com or a similar site to get an estimate for your field. But perhaps just decide on a nominal value and go with it. Remember that $5000 might be nothing to them but it would be huge here in ZA. Good luck!

 

[HavocXphere]

Let them make the first offer.

 

[rorz0r]

Agree with letting them make an offer. Work out the worst case for commission and use the when considering so worst case should at least be around your current salary.

 

[ponder]

Ask them to make you a fair offer based on what they pay their local staff.

 

[zippy]

You are at an advantage here because they know nothing about cost of living in ZA and you can ask for a good $ based salary. You could try glassdoor.com or a similar site to get an estimate for your field. But perhaps just decide on a nominal value and go with it. Remember that $5000 might be nothing to them but it would be huge here in ZA. Good luck!

Since the OP has been dealing with them, I would assume they do know something about the SA market. You are making an assumption that because its a foreign co they haven't done their research. They are probably very experienced in appointing agents in foreign countries. I'm sure the OP isn't that stupid to go and try to con them.

 

[GhostSixFour]

Be open with them. I'll tell them what I currently earn, what the risks are in moving and how much I would expect, to make this worth my while. Don't be greedy.

 

[Cius]

They are fishing while hoping to pay you less than the US equivelant.

I would not respond with my current, I would just say make me an offer that roughly matches the US salary system and I'll let you know if I am interested.

 

[Joker]

I would not respond with my current, I would just say make me an offer that roughly matches the US salary system and I'll let you know if I am interested.

Yup, I agree with this. It's a good strategy and you're completely in your right since you're not familiar with the US salary market.

 

[Mortymoose]

Don't tell them what you currently earn, rather let them make you an offer and you tell them you will see if it's worth your while...

Off course once you receive the offer and you feel it is too much, you are more than welcome to splash it around this forum for the rest of us....

 

[marco79]

Make sure to do your calculations correctly and take into account factors like travel and rand/dollar rates. If the rand strengthens then you could be in trouble. I would say work out what you are comfortable earning and add about 20% to 30% to that.

I also agree that they should make the first offer. If it's more than your minimum ask them for 5 to 10% more.

 

[FlatspinZA]

You are at an advantage here because they know nothing about cost of living in ZA and you can ask for a good $ based salary. You could try glassdoor.com or a similar site to get an estimate for your field. But perhaps just decide on a nominal value and go with it. Remember that $5000 might be nothing to them but it would be huge here in ZA. Good luck!

Since the OP has been dealing with them, I would assume they do know something about the SA market. You are making an assumption that because its a foreign co they haven't done their research. They are probably very experienced in appointing agents in foreign countries. I'm sure the OP isn't that stupid to go and try to con them.

^ Zippy has it right. With the Internet, it's difficult to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. Take the trip I made to Nigeria a couple of months back. My room worked out to R2600.00 per night, beers were R25.00. Thank God I wasn't paying, but for them it worked out cheaper to fly an outsider in, accommodate them, and feed them, than it did to employ someone local.

Be open with them. I'll tell them what I currently earn, what the risks are in moving and how much I would expect, to make this worth my while. Don't be greedy.

^ Don't be greedy, but don't sell yourself short, either.

They are fishing while hoping to pay you less than the US equivelant.

I would not respond with my current, I would just say make me an offer that roughly matches the US salary system and I'll let you know if I am interested.

^ Never tell them what you are earning. This is sound advice.