This AI prompt turns a job offer into a salary negotiation plan
Why this prompt matters
Most people under-negotiate because they walk into the conversation with a vague number and no structure. That usually leaves money on the table, but it can also cost title scope, equity, flexibility, or a faster review cycle. A strong Prompt forces you to define leverage, set fallback positions, and use language that protects the relationship while still asking clearly.
What we use it for
Use this when you have an offer call, annual review, promotion discussion, or recruiter follow-up coming up within the next few days and you need a negotiation plan that goes beyond 'ask for more money.' It is especially useful when compensation includes several moving parts such as base salary, equity, signing bonus, title, remote flexibility, or review timing.
Prompt
Role: Act as a senior compensation strategist and negotiation coach for knowledge workers. Context: I am evaluating a job offer or compensation review and I need a negotiation plan that is realistic, evidence-based, and professional. I want to negotiate without sounding entitled, damaging the relationship, or focusing only on base salary. Use the information I provide to assess leverage, identify negotiable items, and build a clear BATNA-informed strategy. Task: Using the details below, produce a negotiation brief that tells me whether I should negotiate, what to ask for first, what tradeoffs to accept, and how to say it. Then draft a live-call script and a follow-up email. Inputs: - Current role and compensation: [CURRENT ROLE AND TOTAL COMP] - New offer or review context: [NEW OFFER / REVIEW DETAILS] - Target compensation or desired outcome: [TARGET NUMBER OR PACKAGE] - Market signals: [MARKET DATA, RECRUITER SIGNALS, PEER DATA] - My strongest leverage points: [SKILLS, RESULTS, SCARCITY, DEADLINES] - Constraints: [LOCATION, VISA, LEVEL, FAMILY, TIMELINE, RISK TOLERANCE] - Non-salary priorities: [REMOTE, EQUITY, BONUS, TITLE, PTO, SIGN-ON, REVIEW CYCLE] Constraints: - Be direct, specific, and commercially realistic. - Do not tell me to negotiate aggressively if the leverage is weak. - Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves. - Quantify gaps when enough data exists. - Flag risks that could backfire. - Give me language that sounds calm and credible, not theatrical. - If information is missing, list the missing items and proceed with explicit assumptions. Output Format: 1. Situation summary 2. Is negotiation recommended? (yes/no + why) 3. BATNA assessment 4. Negotiation priorities ranked 1 to 5 5. Recommended ask with exact wording 6. Fallback options and tradeoffs 7. Risks and red lines 8. 5 likely objections and the best response to each 9. 90-second live conversation script 10. Follow-up email draft 11. Final recommendation in one paragraph
Result
Situation summary: You are a Senior Product Analyst in London earning £78,000 base plus a 10% annual bonus. A Series C SaaS company has offered you a Lead Product Operations role at £86,000 base, 0.12% equity over four years, and a standard benefits package. The recruiter has said the team is highly interested and wants to close this week. Market data for comparable London roles suggests a base range of roughly £88,000 to £95,000, with stronger packages for candidates who bring cross-functional analytics and automation experience.
Is negotiation recommended? Yes. The current offer is credible but slightly below market on base salary, and the company has already signaled urgency. Your leverage is not only your direct domain fit but also your track record building reporting systems that reduced manual work for sales and finance teams. That gives you a legitimate business case for negotiating.
BATNA assessment: Moderate. You are employed, so you are not negotiating from a zero-income position, but you do not have another written offer. That means you should negotiate with confidence, not brinkmanship. Your strongest BATNA is staying in your current role while continuing interviews for better-compensated positions over the next four to six weeks.
Negotiation priorities: 1) Increase base salary to £92,000. 2) If base cannot move fully, request a signing bonus of £8,000 to £10,000. 3) Ask whether equity can be adjusted to 0.16%. 4) Confirm a six-month compensation review tied to agreed success metrics. 5) Explore title calibration if scope includes team leadership.
Recommended ask with wording: 'I’m very enthusiastic about the role and the team. Based on the scope, the market range for similar positions, and the value I can bring in analytics automation and cross-functional operations, I was hoping we could get closer to £92,000 on base. If there’s limited room there, I’d love to explore whether we can bridge the gap through a signing bonus, a slightly stronger equity grant, or an earlier compensation review.'
Likely objection: 'We’re already at the top of the band.' Best response: 'I understand band constraints. If base is capped, I’d be happy to discuss other ways to align the package with the role’s scope, especially sign-on support, equity, or a documented review milestone after initial impact is visible.'
Final recommendation: Negotiate, but keep the tone collaborative. Ask for the full package you actually want, lead with base salary, and use alternative levers if the salary band is rigid. Do not threaten to walk unless your real fallback is to decline.
Generated Image
This Prompt is built for one of the easiest places to lose money quietly: the compensation conversation you think you can improvise.
Most candidates do not fail because they lack ambition. They fail because they negotiate with a single number in mind and no structure behind it. That makes the discussion emotional, vague, and easy for a recruiter or manager to redirect.
The design here fixes that problem by forcing the model to separate leverage from wishful thinking. The BATNA section matters because negotiation quality depends on your alternatives, not your confidence. The ranked priorities section matters because salary, equity, title, review timing, and flexibility do not all carry equal weight in every situation.
The Prompt also asks for exact wording. That is the practical part most advice skips. People know they should negotiate, but they do not know how to say it without sounding combative or unprepared. A calm script and follow-up email reduce that friction.
Use it before an offer call, annual review, internal promotion conversation, or recruiter follow-up. The best results come when you give the model real market data, actual constraints, and honest fallback options rather than an aspirational wish list.