Ryan: Hi Jacob, thanks for taking the time to meet with me.
Jacob: No problem, Ryan. Why don't we get down to business?
Ryan: Right. Well, as you know I've been a salesman here in Unix for 2 years now and I've been really happy here. I've learned a lot from the sales team and there's great camaraderie with the staff.
Why don't we...Why not...? 这个句型很多同学误以为是用来问原因，所以每次都是用because...来作答。实际上，绝大多数情况下，这是for making a suggestion, signalling that he is ready to discuss the pay raise directly.
这一段Ryan是在表决心，demonstrate his loyalty to the company, 为下面的加薪讨论铺垫。下面给出一些其他的求加薪的开场方式，供大家参考：
start the pay raise discussion on the positive note:
1. The training opportunity is great and Ithink this would be a great place for me to develop my career.
2. I couldn't ask for a better group of colleagues.
3. I appreciate that managers are always open to new ideas.
4. It's clear that this company caresabout its employees' well-being.
求加薪时，其他需要注意的事项：
Asking for a raise requires preparation, skill, timing and a fallback plan. It also demands wrapping your mind around a basic fact many employees miss: A pay increase is based on performance and the market for your skills.