3 simple steps to your next big pay-raise

Sean BowerI can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard great ideas get passed over because of their lack of credibility or clarity.

Do you have trouble expressing your ideas? You know they could change your company in positive ways, but your boss simply doesn’t see eye-to-eye.

It’s extremely difficult to present an idea with the confidence that it’s going to do well, but these simple steps will take your ideas from break-room conversations to executive presentations, getting you that next big pay-raise you deserve.

Whether the idea you come up with changes something small at your branch or it affects the whole company, you shouldn’t be afraid to take it all the way to the top if you believe in it.

Most ideas only get as far as your general manager, who then lies through his teeth by saying: “I’ll take it into consideration.”

As soon as you hear that sentence, you can consider your idea dead and buried.

Before I was in my position of being able to make executive decisions, I was where you are. I used to try to think of ways of how I can make my ideas better, but I kept hearing the same thing: “I’ll take it into consideration.”

I couldn’t understand how I could get the same answer for every idea, no matter how good or bad it was.

After years of sitting in the same position, with none of my ideas ever materializing, I decided to think outside the box.

That was the beginning of my path to where I am today, and I’ve constructed this simple 3 step walkthrough to guide you to that position where your ideas are always heard and the pay is much, much better.

If you’re truly committed to getting that next big pay-raise so you and your family can live a more comfortable life, then follow these steps precisely:

1. Make it personal

Many people fall into the issue of thinking about how their idea can affect the company as a whole. In order to combat this, you must take it down a few notches.

Pull your boss into the presentation. Instead of saying something like “this will make it easier for the company to progress,” say: “this will make it easier for you to progress, and you’ll be able to push the company to new heights.”

This makes your listener more committed and more involved in the idea. Nobody likes to take orders from someone who is below them in the company’s ladder, but by giving them license to take credit and get involved, they’ll be onboard with whatever you have to offer.

2. Be concrete, not abstract

A mentor once asked me to sell him my favorite car by only using words, without naming the make or model. I started off describing its aesthetics, but progressively became more enthusiastic.

I started throwing around terms like, “high performance,” “fuel efficient,” and “sleek design.”

After my rambling he looked at me and said, “define what those three traits mean.” I stumbled. He asked how I could describe high performance without using abstract ideas that have no physical value.

After pondering a bit, I mentioned V8 engine, and that was it. A V8 exists in the real world—you can touch it. You can’t touch high performance.

In the same way, your ideas need to be filled with tangible attributes. Don’t tell your boss that the company could become a Fortune 500 company, tell him that sales can increase by 3x in the next year.

Fortune 500 sounds great, but it has no physical boundaries—a 3x sales increase is made concrete by the figures.

3. Present the outcome, not the system

Most of the time, when you present an idea to your boss, you’re confined to a couple of minutes at most. If you waste the opening minute by explaining the details of your idea, he’ll have lost focus in no time.

You could say whatever you want after that, but it’ll get you nowhere.

Start your presentation by bragging about the benefits of your idea.

“It’ll cut costs companywide by 25%.”

“It’ll boost efficiency by 15% and reduce overtime pay, which will save the company $20,000 a year.”

Those types of benefits will grasp his attention, and you’ll have set yourself up to slide in any attractive features after that.

While keeping all three of these steps in mind, put yourself in the shoes of your boss and think about what you’d want to hear from an employee.

He probably receives multiple ideas a day, but if you put these steps to use, he’ll make time to hear what you have to say, which will put you on track for that next big pay-raise.

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