According to a 2011 study, one of the best ways to ask for a big raise and get one is to start with a joke, where you ask for an INSANE amount of money, like a million bucks.
It has to do with a technique called "anchoring," where you start with a higher number than you actually expect to get.
Studies have found it even works if you go way over-the-top with it, because throwing out any high number makes your boss less likely to low-ball you. Plus it's a good ice-breaker. It also works if you're negotiating your salary in a job interview.
During this study, a bunch of people interviewed for the same job that paid just over $30,000. When people joked that they wanted one hundred thousand dollars, the average offer they got was $35,385.
When they didn't joke, the average offer they got was about $3,000 less. So almost a 10% difference.
Has anyone ever tried this? And did it WORK?