“A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do.”
— Robert Cialdini, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
This quote reminds me of when I was in software sales at PandaDoc. Everyday I would call 70-80 phone numbers and hope someone would answer. When they did, I did two things: I introduced myself and I explained the reason for my call.
It was simple, but it kept leads on the phone long enough for me to earn a living doing it. And it got me promoted too.
Broadly speaking, if you want to get paid well (not just with money), you have to give the right people the right reasons for them to act in your favor.