Executive Boardroom Maneuvers — Ep 1: Real English Conversation: Demanding a Raise | English C1-C2
Shadow this lesson: play a line, pause, and repeat it out loud — matching speed and intonation.
Conversation Script
Boss
Let's not tiptoe around it. You're asking for a fifteen percent increase, and that's a bold figure to drop on me.
Employee
Bold, maybe, but hardly unreasonable given the revenue I've brought in over the last two quarters.
Boss
Revenue's great, but budgets don't bend just because someone had a good run.
Employee
Fair enough, though I'd argue consistency counts for more than a lucky streak.
Boss
Touché, still I can't just wave a wand and conjure extra headcount funding out of thin air.
Employee
I'm not asking for magic, just recognition that's overdue by at least a year.
Boss
Overdue, huh? That's a loaded word to use in a room full of decision-makers.
Employee
Loaded or not, it's accurate. My last review flagged this exact conversation.
Boss
Alright, I'll concede that point, but fifteen percent is still steeper than I can justify to the board.
Employee
What if we met somewhere in the middle, say ten percent with a performance clause?
Boss
Now that's more palatable, though I'd want the clause tied to measurable deliverables.
Employee
Deal. Draft the terms and I'll sign off before the ink dries.
Boss
Don't get ahead of yourself; I still need sign-off from finance before anything's final.
Employee
Understood, but I'll take a conditional yes over a flat no any day.