What this prompt does
This prompt scripts an actual salary negotiation — the exact lines you can say out loud, not vague advice. It casts the AI as a compensation coach who has sat on both sides of the table. You supply [target_role], [current_base], [competing_offer], and your ranked [priorities], and it returns a two-line opening that buys time, an anchor counter covering base, equity, and sign-on, three concession options mapped to your priorities, word-for-word responses to four common pushbacks, and clear walk-away criteria.
The structure mirrors how a real negotiation unfolds. The opening line keeps you from rejecting the first number emotionally; the anchor counter sets a defensible target across all three levers; and the concession ladder, ordered against your [priorities], means you trade the things you care least about first. Scripting the four pushbacks — budget, fairness, exploding offer, and "is that a yes?" — prepares you for the moments where candidates usually fold.
When to use it
- You have an offer in hand and want to counter without sounding adversarial
- You hold a
[competing_offer]and need to leverage it gracefully - You freeze under pressure and want rehearsed lines for the hard moments
- You need a concession order that protects your top
[priorities] - You want clear walk-away criteria before the call, not during it
- You are negotiating a
[target_role]and unsure how to anchor across base, equity, and sign-on
Example output
You get labeled sections with the speakable lines in quotes: a calm two-line opening, an anchor counter with a one-line justification for each component, three prioritized concession options, four word-for-word pushback responses, and walk-away criteria plus a graceful decline that keeps the door open. The tone is calm, collaborative, and unapologetic — ready to rehearse aloud.
Pro tips
- Rank
[priorities]honestly — the concession ladder trades away your lowest priorities first, so the order directly shapes what you keep - Enter a real
[competing_offer]if you have one; the anchor is stronger when it is grounded in an actual alternative, not a bluff - Rehearse the pushback lines out loud before the call — reading them is not the same as saying them under pressure
- Keep
[current_base]exact, including equity and sign-on, so the counter anchors across all three levers rather than base alone - Ask it to make the walk-away criteria stricter if you are prone to accepting too early
- Regenerate the four pushback responses in a softer or firmer tone to match the recruiter you are dealing with
- Treat the opening two-line response as the most important script — it buys time without rejecting the offer, which is where most candidates react emotionally and lose leverage
