If you want to up your salary, using popular negotiation strategies aren't always going to do the trick, says life and business strategist Tony Robbins.
The key to getting a raise comes down to the answer to one question: How can you add more value to your company? There's no substitute for that. At the end of the day, "no technique is going to solve for not adding value," Robbins tells CNBC Make It.
That's why, before asking your boss for more money, he advises that you start by asking yourself, "What can I do that people will value in this environment? What can I do to stand out from everybody else in this area — not just once, not twice, but all the time?"
A simple way to figure out the answer is to set up a meeting and tell your manager, "I want to know what would it take for me to grow in this company another level. Speak to them and say, 'Here is my goal,'" says Robbins, adding, "I would have conversations like that before any conversations about money."
Once you have that conversation, "you're going to learn one of two things," he says: That there's a future for you in the company, or that there isn't.
"Either you're going to see people value you and your added value works in this environment … or, you're going to see that they don't and you need to get your butt out of here and go someplace where the added value will be perceived."
If you figure out a way you can add value, put in the hours and add value where you said you would. Then, when it comes time to ask for a pay bump, you won't need to use any negotiation tactics to get what you want, says Robbins — you'll simply have to present the work you've done and the progress you've made.
If you learn that your skills won't necessarily add value to the company, "better you find that out now than four years down the line when you learn some negotiation technique and you're sitting here trying to manipulate somebody," Robbins says. "Manipulation is not the solution."
The secret is to find a way "to do more than anybody else," says Robbins. That "is going to do more than any little technique I can teach you."
Don't miss: Tony Robbins: The 2 most important things to do with your money before you turn 30
Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube!
