Here's a new secret.
I was invited to apply for a big promotion at work recently. But I liked the sound of the even bigger promotion that was also available at the same time even more, so I've applied for that as well. It's a fairly high status position in my little pond, too - way above my present lowly minion post where a small number of people speak to me like shit when they think they can get away with it. Way above their positions, as well.
The secret is that I already knew they were coming up long before it was public (or even restricted) knowledge and deliberately volunteered to take on some very technical stuff because I knew they can't afford to lose whoever knows how to do it; the particular skills in question are highly in demand elsewhere - so if I don't get what I want, I could walk into a job somewhere else pretty much immediately. In the long run, they could probably recruit, but it would cost them significantly more to do so, probably involve agency rates and some investment in IT at short notice/high cost and in the short-medium term, the consequences of not having anybody there would be a huge problem.
Either promotion appeals, I'd be happy with the lower one in all honesty, but lots more money? I'm all over that.
I don't think it's occurred to them that nice little me (I'm not nasty or unkind at all - but I'm certainly not all fluffy bunnies and rainbows on the inside) could find out all this stuff perfectly legally and deliberately plan to put myself in a position where it boils down to whether they want to screw themselves over or give me what I want.
Well, nice is good. But nice and on double the salary and some extra status is even better. And if I do get one of them, I'm going to enjoy that people who are so bloody rude to me not daring to try it ever again.