You Want a Pay Rise. Can You Make the Case?
How to turn a nervous request into a confident business case.
Welcome to the Friday Fix!
👉 Each Friday, we break down a real-world professional problem and replace “textbook” phrases with the authentic, native-level language that actually gets results.
You have been thinking about this for months. Maybe longer.
You know you deserve a pay rise. Your responsibilities have grown. Your results speak for themselves. But every time you think about having the conversation, something stops you.
What if they say no? What if it makes things awkward? What if your English is not good enough to make a strong case?
Here is the truth: most salary conversations fail not because the request is unreasonable, but because the case is poorly structured. Your manager does not need to hear that you feel you deserve more. They need to hear a logical argument that makes it easy to say yes.
The Situation
You are a marketing manager at a mid-sized tech company. You have been in your role for two years. In that time, you have taken on the social media strategy (previously handled by an external agency), increased lead generation by 35%, and started mentoring two junior team members.
Your annual review is next week. Your manager, Laura, has already hinted that she is happy with your work. You want to use this meeting to ask for a salary increase. You have one chance to make your case clearly.
The Challenge
Prepare what you would say to Laura (4-5 sentences) to open the salary conversation. Your words should:
• Start with common ground (something she already agrees with)
• Show how your role has changed (the complication)
• Make a clear request (specific, not vague)
Have a go before scrolling down.
Phrases you’ll need for this one:
• “Over the past two years, my role has evolved significantly...”
• “I’d like to discuss adjusting my compensation to reflect...”
• “The value I’m bringing now is...”
• “I believe a fair adjustment would be...”
👇 Ready to see how a professional would handle this? The model answer, the framework behind it, and the biggest mistake most ESL speakers make in salary conversations are below. 🔒
