Stop talking
So you can get what you want
When you make a request of your boss – whether it’s for a promotion, a raise, strategic involvement in a project or something else – it’s important to know when to stop talking. In short: the sooner the better.
Say you are asking for 20K more than what’s on the table now. What you don’t want to do is make that request, and then nervously go off on a tangent about the weather or what you’re going to eat for lunch or really, anything at all. That dilutes your message. It gives them a conversational out. It makes it sound like the thing you’re asking for doesn’t mean that much to you. And it does.
So do this instead: Make the ask. Then be quiet. Let that question hang in the air. It’s their turn.
Awkward? Yeah, maybe! But honest? Yes. But you’re not there to talk about tornadoes or soup. You’re there to discuss your career, your promotion, your future. And you have a specific ask. So ask it. Then stop talking.
I wrote a book that you might also like. Check out Promotions Made Easy: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Executive Suite.