Excuse me , sir , may I talk to you ?   Bill ! Sure , come on in . What can I do for you ?   Well sir , as you know , I have been an employee of this prestigious firm for over ten years .   Yes .   I won ’ t beat around the bush . Sir , I would like a raise . I currently have three companies after me and so I decided to talk to you first .   A raise ? Son , I would love to give you a raise , but this is just not the right time .   I understand your position , and I know that the current economic downturn has had a negative impact on sales , but you must also take into consideration my hard work , pro-activeness and loyalty to this company for over a decade .   Taking into account these factors , and considering I don ’ t want to start a brain drain , I ’ m willing to offer you a ten percent raise and an extra five days of vacation time . How does that sound ?   Great ! It ’ s a deal ! Thank you , sir !   Before you go , just out of curiosity , what companies were after you ?   Oh , the electric company , gas company and water company ! 