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The Magic Four Hello (Do 1) is all about what you say and convey. The physical part of your delivery is far more important than any words you use. What you say is factual, what you convey is physical. Big difference, little resistance.

You must rivet your eyes on your boss’s. I always moved my head to follow his eyes. This is deadly. Continuous eye contact is s-o-o-o important. Looking down means you’re weak. Looking away means you’re not interested. Looking behind means you’re trying to head for the door.

Sit Somewhere Besides the Front of Your Boss’s Desk

We talked about the reasons for this (Do 38 and Do 56).

There’s enough confrontation as it is. If he has (or you can gracefully move) a chair on the side of his desk, go for it. If there’s a couch, sit on it with him. A coffee table and chairs? Okay.

Write Out a Script

It resembles:

You: Hi, Dean. Thanks for meeting with me! We’ve both got a lot to do today, so I’ll get right to the point. I’d like a raise. (Note the word ask appears nowhere in this conversation.)

Dean: I just gave you one two years ago! Why do you think we should pay you more?

You: Well, for one thing, I have two more years of experience. For another, I’ve checked around and the going rate for my job is 20 percent higher than I’m earning here. And most important, I’ve accomplished a lot for the company.

Dean: I don’t really see it that way. Weren’t you excited to be MVP-of-the-month last year?

You: I appreciate all appreciation. (Humor. It disarms and penetrates.) Well, let me remind you what I’ve done. (Write as many raisers from the raise list as you like.)

Dean: I guess you’re right. But the new safety program has increased our operating expenses.

You (leaning forward—eyeballs riveted): I’d like a 20 percent increase.

Dean: What do I get?

You: Well, you get what you got. And you got a lot. But you’ll continue to have me becoming even more productive and I’ll help with reducing the cost of our new safety program too.

Dean: Okay, let me sleep on it.

You: Sleep well. I’ll call you tomorrow morning.

Shake Hands, Still Eyeballing and Smiling

You can stop leaning forward, get up, turn around, and get back to work.

Follow Up the Next Day

Don’t lie in wait behind the water cooler.

Midafternoon, go in, smile, look at the eyes only, and say, “What are we doing about the raise?”

Note we, not you, and the raise, not my raise.

The company has a challenge.

We’ll solve it.

You’ll get that raise. And praise!

You’ll never have to ask again.

Do 86: Magnetizing Muckety-mucks

Want to nose-to-nose with an industry mogul? Become a reporter on assignment! It’s a sure way to get instants.

Roundup articles are surveys of business muckety-mucks about some subject that interests a trade magazine. They’re a perfect opener to a standard I.I. (Do 1).

You google a subject, followed by magazines. That displays the mags that concentrate on that area.

Then you call (better than e-mail and far better than fax or regular mail) the publisher. Ask for the editor-in-chief. Tell her, “I’m writing a ‘roundup article’ on trends in the automotive additive industry. When would Racing Maniac be interested in running it?” The chief—directly, or indirectly through an editor—will say, “Sure! When do you plan to submit it?”

You now have an assignment. That allows you to honestly make up some questions like, “What do you think will be the next breakthrough in goosegrease gas goo?”

Then you call some huge company offeror (they call him their CEO) and ask away. It’s occasionally hard to understand him because he foams at the mouth at the offer of free publicity.

This will require you to interview (read: interview with) him in person. Say you’d like to pick up a portrait of him to include in the article. (That will make it necessary to wipe off the foam oozing out of your phone.)

Expect an instant interview.

Bring that recorder you’re using for your phone exercises (Do 25). It will save you a lot of time and you won