{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"304| Saying Your Opening Line Out Loud, On Camera","description":"Nichole wraps up the week with a practice episode, giving you a weekend assignment to rehearse your opening line and your ask out loud. In this episode: A recap of the week: asking for the meeting, deciding about HR, what to send ahead, and helping your manager say yes A reminder of the mission to help 1,000 women ask for a raise before the end of the year, and a note that Nichole is still rooting for you if you\u2019re tuning in after the new year Why your voice may wobble the first time you say the words out loud, even with perfect research, a polished one-pager, and good timing, and why practice makes it more natural Step one: writing your opening line, which comes from section one of your one-pager, with a sample you can make your own that is short, direct, and free of apologies Step two: saying it out loud, not in your head, and noticing where you stumble or want to add an apology or hedge Step three: recording yourself on your phone, from your opening line through your ask Step four: watching it back with kindness, and checking three things: pace, filler words, and whether your voice goes up at the end like a question, especially when you say your number Step five: doing two or three takes, since it gets easier each time A tip to pause for a few seconds after you say your number, which gives your manager time to process and signals confidence Going a step further by practicing with a friend or mentor who plays your manager and asks questions like \u201cWhy now?\u201d or \u201cWhat if there\u2019s no budget?\u201d This weekend\u2019s task: record your opening line and your ask at least twice, watch them back, and pick one thing to improve, with a reminder that feeling awkward means you\u2019re doing it right A preview of next week\u2019s strategy deep dive: anchoring and why you should say your number first, what to do when your manager keeps avoiding the topic, what if your manager can\u2019t approve raises, and when it\u2019s okay to go over your manager\u2019s head Download the 7 Days to Ask for a Raise Challenge to help you confidently ask for a raise here. Connect with Nichole on Instagram @nichole.harrop ","author_name":"Future Female Leaders","author_url":"http:\/\/www.nicholeharrop.com","html":"