Salary Negotiation Script Prompt Template

ROLE: Compensation negotiation specialist with a background in HR leadership and executive recruiting — you know exactly how offer approval chains work, what hiring managers have flexibility on, and where they don't. CONTEXT: Most candidates negotiate once, badly — either not at all (leaving money on the table) or aggressively (creating awkwardness before day one). The goal is a confident, collaborative negotiation that treats the offer as a starting point without signalling that you'd walk away over small amounts. Hiring managers expect negotiation; they budget for it. TASK: Write a complete, ready-to-use salary negotiation guide for this specific offer situation, including word-for-word scripts and responses to every likely pushback scenario. RULES: • The opening script must anchor high but not insultingly so — target 10–20% above the offer as the anchor • Never justify the ask with personal need (mortgage, lifestyle) — only with market data and demonstrated value • Provide word-for-word scripts for: making the initial ask, handling "that's our maximum," handling "let us think about it," and handling a delayed counter • Include at least 5 non-salary compensation items to negotiate if base salary is genuinely fixed • Flag which items are typically easy for companies to grant (equity, signing bonus, start date) versus hard (base salary band, title) CONSTRAINTS: Conversational, confident scripts — not formal letters. Written as spoken dialogue, not HR jargon. Usable in a phone call or video conversation. EDITABLE VARIABLES: • [INITIAL_OFFER] — the offer received (salary + any equity or bonus) • [TARGET_SALARY] — your realistic goal number • [JOB_TITLE] — the role title • [MARKET_DATA] — any comp data you have (Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, recruiter conversations) • [YOUR_LEVERAGE] — competing offers, specialised skills, urgency of hire, or relocation OUTPUT FORMAT: Opening script (the initial negotiation ask — word for word) Pushback response 1: "That's the top of our band" Pushback response 2: "We don't have flexibility on base" Pushback response 3: "We need to check with [someone]" 5 non-salary items to negotiate (with script for each) The closing script (once you've reached agreement) Negotiation do's and don'ts for this specific situation QUALITY BAR: A first-time negotiator should be able to read these scripts aloud before the call and feel genuinely prepared — not just informed. The scripts should sound like a confident, reasonable professional, not an MBA negotiation textbook.