For Sofia, salary negotiations are as strategic as they are intimidating. She is afraid of asking for too much, stating her expectations poorly, and damaging the rapport she has built with her interviewers. ‘I don't want to ruin everything by talking about money. What if I come across as pretentious?’ she wonders. Aware of these issues, Sofia contacted me after hearing about my work as a coach from a friend. She is looking for support during this critical phase of the selection process, which she feels will be decisive for the rest of her career.

‘It's difficult to translate my skills into numbers.’

At our first meeting, the young engineer arrives with a mixture of enthusiasm and doubt. Her fear? That her salary requirements aren't legitimate and that she doesn't know ‘how to say things’. I quickly notice that she has a strong desire to do well, but also a tendency to downplay her value. " I know I have the skills, but I find it difficult to translate them into figures or arguments,‘ she explains. My role? To help her to view the negotiation phase not as an ordeal, but as a discussion between two parties aiming for a mutually beneficial agreement — a ’win-win" scenario which takes into account what she brings to the table and the needs expressed by the company.

Over the course of our five coaching sessions, Sofia clarifies her expectations, highlights her professional contributions and breaks down the invisible barriers that are preventing her from asserting herself. She learns to choose the right words, link her skills to concrete results and formulate a proposal that is in line with the market... and with herself. ‘I understood that negotiating is not about demanding. It's about recognising my legitimacy and expressing it with respect,’ she says with newfound confidence. The coaching journey enabled her to approach salary negotiations with calm and clarity. It was no longer an intimidating step, but a moment of alignment between her principles, skills and aspirations.

Successful negotiations and a new professional stance

What lessons can be learned from this coaching ? For Sofia, the coaching programme was a real catalyst : she gained confidence in herself, became clearer about the value she brings, and learned to define her own terms without feeling guilty. : ‘It's not just a successful negotiation. It's a new way of positioning myself professionally.’

For me, this coaching experience was deeply inspiring. I saw a young woman transform from reserved to assertive by reconnecting with her inner strength. It reminded me, once again, that negotiating is not just about numbers. It is also—and above all—a question of attitude and belief in one's worth.