What do I do if my manager says not now?

Treat not now as an incomplete answer rather than a final one, and convert it into two things before the meeting ends: a reason and a date. Ask what would have to be true for the answer to change, and ask when you can review it again.

Then send the short follow-up the same day, restating what you asked for, what you were told, and the date you agreed. That email makes the second conversation possible, because the request then exists outside your memory.

If the answer was about performance, ask for the specific gap. If it was about budget, ask which window your case can enter. Both answers are useful; only silence is not.

If the same answer comes back twice, with no condition attached and no date, treat it as a decision rather than a delay. At that point the useful question stops being how to phrase the request and becomes whether this role can pay you what the work is worth, which may mean a conversation about a different position or a different employer.

Asking for a Raise in English: The Conversation and the Follow-Up Email →