For over thirty-five years, attorney and financial consultant Stephen M. Pollan has been offering pragmatic career, financial, business, and legal advice to individuals and businesses. He was CNBC?s on-air personal finance expert for five years, is a frequent guest on The Today Show and Good Morning America, and contributes regularly to Worth, Working Woman, New York, Money, and U.S. News & World Report magazines. He and Mark Levine have co-authored many books on business and personal finance.
Introduction: The Secret of Using Lifescripts.
PART I: LIFESCRIPTS FOR THE OFFICE.
Chapter One: Lifescripts for Job Hunting.
1: Cold Calling for an Informational Interview.
2: Asking a Manager for Job-Hunting Advice.
3: Asking a Current Supervisor for a Job Recommendation.
4: Responding to a Salary Offer.
5: Interviewing for a Career-Shift Job.
6: Responding to Tough Interview Questions.
Chapter Two: Lifescripts for Dealing with Superiors.
7: Asking for a Salary Increase.
8: Asking for a Promotion.
9: Asking for Flextime.
10: Asking for Emergency Leave.
11: Asking for an Increased Budget.
12: Breaking Bad News to a Boss.
13: Maximizing a Performance Review.
14: Asking for a Salary Advance.
15: Meeting a New Boss.
16: Justifying an Expense Report.
17: Pitching a Reluctant Supervisor.
18: Refusing an Assignment.
19: Asking for a Deadline Extension.
20: Asking for Relief from an Assignment.
21: Asking Someone to Become Your Mentor.
22: Asking for a Lateral Reassignment.
23: Warning Your Superior of Potential Client Problems.
24: Warning Your Superior of Potential Vendor Problems.
Chapter Three: Lifescripts for Dealing with Subordinates.
25: Criticizing a Subordinate's Work.
26: Turning Down a Raise Request.
27: Adding Responsibilities without Adding Pay.
28: Changing a Subordinate's Job Status to Part-Time.
29: Announcing a Salary Reduction.
30: Warning a Subordinate to Stop Drinking.
31: Fixing a Flextime Problem.
32: Turning Down a Promotion Request.
33: Giving a Negative Performance Review.
34: Correcting Repeated Mistakes by a Subordinate.
35: Turning Down a Subordinate's Request for Time Off.
Chapter Four: Lifescripts for Office Politics and Behavior.
36: Confronting a Backstabbing Peer.
37: Ratting on a Colleague.
38: Complaining About an Immediate Superior's Behavior.
39: Confronting a Sexual Harasser.
40: Tactfully Suggesting Better Hygiene.
41: Suggesting No Further Drinking to a Peer.
42: Dealing with a Sexual Harassment Charge between Subordinates.
43: Going over Your Boss's Head.
44: Demanding Better Work Habits from a Subordinate.
45: Asking a Subordinate to Improve Her Appearance.
46: Handling a Subordinate's Personal Use of Equipment.
Chapter Five: Lifescripts for Terminations.
47: Giving Two Weeks' Notice to Your Boss.
48: Negotiating for More Severance.
49: Firing an Employee.
PART II: LIFESCRIPTS FOR BUSINESS.
Chapter Six: Lifescripts for Customers and Clients.
50: Cold Calling a Potential Client.
51: Explaining an Overcharge to a Client.
52: Breaking Bad News to a Client.
53: Refusing a Client's Request.
54: Resurrecting a Former Client.
55: Dealing with a Client Who Is Angry with Your Staff.
56: Correcting a Client's Behavior.
57: Apologizing to a Client for Your Own Mistake.
Chapter Seven: Lifescripts for Lenders and Investors.
58: Being Interviewed by an Institutional Investor.
59: Asking an Institutional Investor for More Money.
60: Approaching a "Friendly" Investor.
61: Asking a "Friendly" Investor for More.
62: Asking an Institutional Lender for More.
63: Asking an Institutional Lender to Recast Terms.
64: Approaching a "Friendly" Lender.
65: Asking a "Friendly" Lender to Recast Terms.
66: Approaching the Representative of a "Friendly" Lender.
Chapter Eight: Lifescripts for Vendors.
67: Asking a Vendor to Reduce a Price.
68: Complaining to a Vendor About Service.
69: Getting a Vendor to Come in with a Very Low Bid.
70: Asking a Vendor to Accelerate Work.
Chapter Nine: Lifescripts for Partners.
71: Asking a Partner to Do More Work.
72: Asking a Partner to Improve Behavior.
73: Asking a Partner to Contribute More Money.
74: Complaining to a Partner about One of His Family Members.
Chapter Ten: Lifescripts for Sales.
75: Renegotiating a Price with a Client or Customer.
76: Explaining a Delay to a Client or Customer.
77: Overcoming Stalls When Selling.
PART III: LIFESCRIPTS FOR PERSONAL FINANCE.
Chapter Eleven: Lifescripts for Consumer Issues.
78: Complaining about a Service Provider's Work.
79: Returning Unwanted Merchandise for a Cash Refund.
80: Asking a Craftsperson to Redo Work.
81: Getting a Manufacturer to Honor an Expired Warranty.
82: Appealing a Bureaucratic Decision.
83: Returning a Meal in a Restaurant.
84: Suggesting an Overcharge Took Place.
85: Requesting Better Service from a Professional.
86: Setting a Professional's Fee.
87: Terminating a Relationship with a Professional.
Chapter Twelve: Lifescripts for Creditors and Lenders.
88: Asking a Creditor for More Time.
89: Arguing a Creditor Out of Collection.
90: Explaining a Prior Bankruptcy to a Lender.
91: Appealing a Loan Rejection.
92: Asking for a Lower Interest Rate on Your Credit Card.
93: Handling a Telephone Call from a Bill Collector.
Chapter Thirteen: Lifescripts for the Family.
94: Discussing Funeral Planning with Your Parents.
95: Discussing Funeral Costs with Siblings.
96: Discussing Parents' Elder Care Costs with Siblings.
97: Splitting a Deceased Parent's Personal Property.
98: Offering Financial Help to Parents.
99: Asking a Parent for Money in an Emergency.
100: Asking a Parent for Money in a Nonemergency.
101: Discussing Wedding Expenses with Parents.
102: Suggesting a Prenuptial Agreement with Your Future Spouse.
103: Negotiating a Big-Ticket Purchase with Your Spouse.
104: Debating Vacations with Your Spouse.
105: Discussing Potential Relocation with Your Spouse.
106: Raising the Issues of AIDS Testing and Safe Sex Practices.
107: Breaking an Engagement.
108: Ending a Personal Relationship.
109: Asking Your Spouse to Lose Weight.