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Asking for a salary increase can be a nerve-wracking experience and how you go about it can influence the outcome.

Timing is key, but it’s not the only thing to factor in.

In an episode of Quick Wins, part of the When It Hits the Fan series, David Yelland (former editor of the Sun) and Simon Lewis (former communications chief for the late Queen) share their experience on how best to negotiate your salary. Here are their suggestions.

As David and Simon agree, timing is everything. This might mean putting it off or at least choosing your moment very carefully.

David recalls being wined and dined by some previous employers and realising that he was “being thanked but not paid”. However, their show of faith ultimately worked out for David. “It meant that next year I got a pay rise,” he recalls. “Bide your time, but let them know that you feel undervalued.”

2. Don’t make it immediate or make ultimatums

When you put forward your request, David advises: “Don’t make it immediate.”

“This is not a ‘show me the money’ situation,” says David. He suggests thinking strategically. “Let’s say the pay round is in February, go and see the boss in August of the previous year.”

In a similar vein, Simon advises not to give an ultimatum. “Don't go in and say, ‘I'm expecting a pay increase, and if it doesn't happen by X…’ because what’s going to happen? It normally ends one way…”

There are some definite no-nos when it comes to picking your moment. “If you’re going to ask for a pay rise,” says Simon, “don't ask last thing on a Friday or first thing on Monday. And for goodness sake, don't ask at the Christmas party. That's the worst thing!”

4. Make it about the company

Although you’re asking for a pay rise for yourself, you should put the company at the heart of your pitch. Simon suggests gathering all the facts of your argument together but avoid saying that you “deserve” the rise. Recognise that “a company is there to be successful, and they want you to be successful, but on their terms, not yours.”

5. Make it clear that you will add value

David believes that, whatever the line of work, there are around 10% of people “who add value, who are really good” and “will be paid more in the end.” Meanwhile, “if you're one of those people that actually doesn't deserve to be paid more, you won't be. And that is the thing that nobody ever tells you.”

This life lesson underscores David’s advice to people asking for a pay rise: they show what they are going to do for the money. “A really clever thing is to start to do other things, or to offer to do other things, to move into other areas and for which you will be paid in the end.”

A pay rise doesn’t have to just mean a wage increase. “Real money is hardly ever made in salary,” David says. “If you're working for an entrepreneurial business, start to talk about shared profits, asking for shares or options – ‘we create value together,’ you should say, ‘and I'd like a little bit.’”

David believes that people building a business will be receptive to someone who says they “want to share in the upside”.

“If a young person comes in and starts to talk that kind of language, you like that. It’s when people start to ask you for things that you haven't yet got that you really get annoyed.”