Salary Negotiation Script and Strategy
Build a complete salary negotiation strategy with research-backed scripts for asking for a raise, negotiating a new job offer, or countering a lowball offer.
Prompt Template
You are a career coach and negotiation expert. Help me prepare a salary negotiation strategy for: Scenario: [asking for a raise at current job / negotiating a new job offer / countering a lowball offer] Current salary: $[amount] Target salary: $[amount] Role and level: [your job title and seniority] Industry: [your industry] Location: [city/region for market rate context] Years of experience: [number] Key accomplishments: [3-5 specific, measurable achievements] Company context: [e.g., startup, large corp, recent layoffs, growth phase] Relationship with manager: [strong / neutral / new] Alternatives: [other offers, willingness to walk away] Provide: 1. **Market rate research framework** — how to determine your market value with specific data sources 2. **Negotiation preparation worksheet** — your BATNA, walk-away point, and ideal outcome 3. **Opening script** — exact words to use when initiating the conversation 4. **Counter-offer responses** — scripts for 4 scenarios (accepted, partial, deferred, rejected) 5. **Non-salary negotiables** — 10 items beyond base salary to negotiate (equity, PTO, remote, signing bonus, etc.) 6. **Objection handling** — responses to 'budget is tight', 'it's not review time', 'you're already well-paid' 7. **Email templates** — follow-up email for each outcome 8. **Timeline and next steps** — when to raise the topic and how to follow up
Example Output
Salary Negotiation Strategy — Asking for a Raise
Market Rate Research
Your target: $135,000 (currently $112,000 — requesting 20% increase)
Data sources to check:
- Levels.fyi (tech roles — most accurate for comp data)
- Glassdoor salary insights (filter by your city + company size)
- LinkedIn salary tool (benchmark against similar titles)
- Your network — ask 2-3 peers their range (people share more than you'd think)
**Your market range:** $125,000-$145,000 for Senior Product Manager, 6 YOE, in your metro.
Preparation Worksheet
| Element | Your Answer |
|---------|------------|
| **Ideal outcome** | $135,000 + 5 extra PTO days |
| **Acceptable outcome** | $128,000 + professional development budget |
| **Walk-away point** | Below $120,000 with no non-salary improvements |
| **BATNA** | Competing offer at $130,000 (if applicable) |
Opening Script
"I've really enjoyed the work I've been doing here, especially [specific project]. I'd like to discuss my compensation. Based on my contributions — specifically [achievement 1: e.g., launching the feature that drove $400K in new revenue] and [achievement 2] — and the market rate for this role, I believe $135,000 reflects the value I'm bringing. I'd love to discuss how we can make that work."
If They Say 'Budget Is Tight'
"I understand budget constraints are real. A few options: could we structure this as a phased increase — $125K now with a review in 6 months? Or would a signing bonus, additional equity, or extra PTO be possible within the current budget? I'm flexible on the structure."
Non-Salary Negotiables
1. Signing bonus / one-time bonus
2. Equity / stock options
3. Remote work flexibility
4. Additional PTO days
5. Professional development budget ($2-5K/year)
6. Title upgrade (impacts future earning potential)
7. Flexible hours / compressed work week
8. Home office stipend
9. Accelerated review timeline (6 months instead of 12)
10. Conference attendance budget
Follow-Up Email (After Verbal Agreement)
**Subject:** Following up on our compensation conversation
Hi [Manager],
Thank you for the conversation today. I'm excited about the path forward. To confirm what we discussed: [salary/compensation details]. Please let me know the timeline for making this official, and if there's anything you need from me.
Looking forward to continuing to deliver results for the team.
Best, [Name]
Tips for Best Results
- 💡Never give your number first if negotiating a new offer — ask 'What's the budgeted range for this role?' to anchor the conversation to their ceiling, not your floor
- 💡Quantify your accomplishments in dollars or percentages — 'I led a project that increased retention by 15%' is 10× more persuasive than 'I led important projects'
- 💡Practice your opening script out loud 5 times before the actual conversation — the first 30 seconds set the tone for everything
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Salary Negotiation Script and Strategy prompt?
Build a complete salary negotiation strategy with research-backed scripts for asking for a raise, negotiating a new job offer, or countering a lowball offer. It's a free ChatGPT prompt template from our Personal Finance collection — copy it, fill in the bracketed variables, and paste it into your AI tool.
Which AI tools work with this prompt?
It's written and tested for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. Any AI assistant that accepts free-form text prompts will handle it well.
How do I customize this ChatGPT prompt?
Replace the bracketed variables — such as [amount], [your job title and seniority], [your industry] — with your own details before running it. Never give your number first if negotiating a new offer — ask 'What's the budgeted range for this role?' to anchor the conversation to their ceiling, not your floor
Is this prompt free to use?
Yes. Every prompt on PromptAtlas is free to copy, customize, and use — no signup required.
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