What this prompt does
This prompt takes your actual offer details — base, equity, signing bonus, competing offers — and builds a complete negotiation playbook around them. Rather than generic advice, it forces the model to work with real numbers: your specific role, company tier, and location feed the market analysis, which then anchors every counter-offer figure it suggests.
What makes it effective is the structural completeness. Most negotiation advice stops at "ask for more." This prompt generates the why behind each counter (so you can defend it), the exact words for both async email and live phone scenarios, a response timeline covering when to reply and how long to take, and the tactical awareness to recognize recruiter pressure moves like artificial urgency or "final offer" framing. The phone script section is particularly load-bearing — it prepares you for three specific pushback responses, not a vague "stay calm and professional." The final output also includes a non-salary checklist covering remote days, title, PTO, learning budget, and equipment — items that are frequently more negotiable than base at companies with rigid salary bands.
The walk-away analysis section is what separates this from a template generator. It surfaces your BATNA before the conversation happens, so you are negotiating from a known floor rather than improvising under pressure.
When to use it
- You have a written offer and 48-72 hours before the expected response deadline.
- You are holding a competing offer and want to use it as leverage without damaging the relationship.
- The base is below your target but equity or bonus has room to move — you need the strategy to pivot between levers.
- You are negotiating for a role where base salary is publicly compressed (government contractor, early-stage startup) and need to maximize non-salary items.
- A recruiter called with a verbal offer and you need a phone script before they follow up tomorrow.
- You have never negotiated before and need a structured script to rehearse out loud.
Example output
Market analysis — Senior Backend Engineer, Series B SaaS, Toronto:
P25: CAD 130,000 | P50: CAD 148,000 | P75: CAD 165,000
Source basis: Levels.fyi, LinkedIn Salary, Glassdoor (2024-2025)
Counter-offer: CAD 158,000 base (vs. offered CAD 142,000)
Justification: P65 for this tier; aligns with competing offer at CAD 155,000
Email subject: Re: Offer — [Your Name] — Senior Backend Engineer
"Thank you for the offer. I'm genuinely excited about the role and the team.
After reviewing the details against current market data and a competing offer
I'm holding, I'd like to propose a base of CAD 158,000. I'm flexible on the
RSU cliff schedule if that helps on the cash side. Happy to discuss today."
Phone script — if recruiter says "This is our final offer":
"I understand, and I appreciate the transparency. The role is my top choice —
that's exactly why I want to make this work. Is there any flexibility on the
equity tranche, or could we revisit the signing bonus to bridge the gap?"
Pro tips
- Populate
[competing_offers]with a real number, even an informal one. A competing offer is the single most effective leverage point. The model builds the entire counter-offer strategy differently when one is present versus absent. - Be precise with
[company_type]. "Series B SaaS" gives tighter market ranges than "tech startup." The model uses this to tier its salary benchmarks, and vague input produces vague ranges. - Run this prompt twice with different
[location]values if you are open to relocating or negotiating remote. The delta between markets often reveals whether a location adjustment is worth pursuing. - Use the non-salary section output as a checklist, not filler. Title upgrades, remote day allowances, and learning budgets are frequently more negotiable than base at late-stage companies with rigid salary bands.
- Do not send the generated email verbatim. Read it aloud first. The model writes professionally but not in your voice. Adjust one or two phrases so it reads as you — recruiters who have spoken to you will notice a tonal mismatch immediately.
