Anyone who has run their own business, sold their services as a freelancer or negotiated a salary will tell you, pricing yourself is hard.
Really hard.
There's a juggle we face, particularly as women, between charging what is seen as fair, and what can be perceived as "greedy".
Watch: 5 money lessons your parents told you, that you should probably forget... Post continues after video.
But pricing yourself properly can be the difference between a five and six-figure salary.
As financial expert Melissa Browne explains, asking for "what you're worth", is a skill women need to hone in on to get ahead, and this week on What the Finance, Mel and Pallavi Sharda covered exactly how to do it.
Whether you're looking to get a pay rise, boost your side hustle or get the most out of freelancing, here are their top tips.
How to negotiate your salary.
"Negotiating your salary and knowing and standing up for your worth is something that, I think, women don't do well," Mel said.
Lucky for us, she has three stellar tips on how to nail a pay rise.
01. Find out what others are being paid.
"As an employee, you want to find out what other staff are being paid to find out particularly if men are being paid more," she said.
If this is the case, Mel says "you should be asking for the same".
"There's research now, so you can go and and see what people in your profession are being paid online," she suggests.
Alternatively, Mel suggests asking your colleagues directly what they are being paid.
If that's not your style though, awards can be found online, which provide minimum wage requirements for all industries.
Using these measurements, you can determine a ballpark mark of where your salary "fits".
02. Create a 'plan of action'.
"The thing that I have hated as an employer is when someone comes and asks for their annual pay rise," Mel explained.
"It's not based on worth, it's not based on what they've done for the company, it's just 'I've been here for 12 months'."
"Tell me why you deserve this, show me what you've done."
Before going into a meeting where you're requesting a pay rise, Mel suggests you "create a plan of action" by asking yourself what you have brought to the company.
If required, set a few goals and accomplish them before approaching your employer to provide examples of why you are deserving of more money.
"It moves from something that's emotional to something pragmatic. As a boss that's something compelling, and that's something worth looking at."
Although approaching your boss to ask for more money can be nerve-wracking, Pallavi wants you to remember: "the benefit outweighs the risk".
03. Understand your payslip.
Lastly, Mel really wants you to have a look at your payslip.
"You might have received a package of $80,000 but the amount your receiving in your hand every week is $50,000," she said.
"The important bit is the amount you are left with."
Ask yourself: What's being deducted from my salary? What am I being left with? And what can I do about it?
Consider what benefits are of value to you, and which you could substitute for a larger net pay. Think company vehicles, phones, and extended annual leave.
Listen to the golden advice we're talking about in this episode of Mamamia's What The Finance. Post continues after podcast.
Mel suggests going to an accountant at least once to chat through your payslip, and gain some financial confidence to take into the future.
Pricing your side hustles and freelancing gigs.
But what about the side hustles?
Well, Mel believes understanding the psychology behind price will help small business owners, side hustlers and freelancers to better value themselves.
"Women have traditionally earned and been valued as less, so when it comes to pricing and valuing ourselves, our tendency is to price lower," she explains
"For women, it's understanding there is a psychology to price. Then you need to ask yourself, how can I make sure that there is a market that value what I'm worth or that I can sell what I'm worth?"
Look to similar competitors for guidance and consider your profit margin.
How much is your time, materials, products or services worth? Ensure that your prices cover not only the costs of your products, but the hard work and time that goes into selling them.
Feature Image: Instagram / @moremoneyforshoes