Lifescripts

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 CNBCs 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.