Salary negotiation scripts

Negotiation books talk about BATNA, anchoring theory, and reservation prices. Useful vocabulary, useless in the moment. When a recruiter says "what are your salary expectations?" at 10:03 AM on a Tuesday, you don't have time to model game theory. You need a sentence.

Every line below is something you can say out loud, exactly as written, with no modification. Pick the one that matches your situation. Read it twice. Practice it once out loud. Ship it.

This is the trap. The recruiter needs a number to take you further in the process, and if you give a low one, that becomes your ceiling. If you give a high one, you're disqualified. The trick is to deflect without looking evasive.

Script 1 — the deflect

"I'm more focused on finding the right fit first. Can you share the range budgeted for this role so I can make sure we're in the same ballpark?"

Use this first. Nine times out of ten the recruiter will give you a range. If they do, say:

"Great — that range works for me, and I'd expect to be toward the upper end given [one specific piece of your experience]."

Script 2 — the firm deflect

If they push back and insist you go first:

"I'd rather learn more about the role before giving a specific number. I'm confident we'll find something that works for both of us if it's the right fit — what's the range you're working with?"

Script 3 — if they still won't budge

Some recruiters are trained to never share the range. At this point you have to give a number, but you give a range, not a single figure, and you anchor it high.

"Based on my research and my experience, I'd expect something in the $X–$Y range, with flexibility depending on equity, total comp structure, and the overall package."

How to pick X and Y:X is what you'd happily accept. Y is 20% higher. Never make Y more than 25% above the top of your research — it reads as unserious. Research the role on levels.fyi, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn salary insights before the call.

The first offer is almost never the best offer. Companies expect you to negotiate. They budget for it. If you accept the first number you hear, you're leaving money on the table that the company was already prepared to spend.

But you also shouldn't counter immediately. The instant reply is a reflex, and you want to show that you're thoughtful.

Script 4 — the gracious pause

"Thank you so much — I'm really excited about this. Before I respond, I want to take a day to review everything and make sure I'm looking at the full package thoughtfully. Can I get back to you by [date 24–48h out]?"

This buys you time, signals seriousness, and costs you nothing. Use it. Always.

Script 5 — the counter

When you come back, here's the exact structure: enthusiasm + concrete reasoning + number + soft ask.

"Thanks again for the offer — I'm genuinely excited about the role and the team. After reviewing the package against my research and my current comp, I was hoping we could get the base to $X. That would make this an easy yes for me. Is there any flexibility there?"

How to pick $X:10–15% above what they offered. Not 30%. Not 5%. The sweet spot is a number they can probably hit without going back to their VP, but high enough that the answer isn't obviously "yes."

Script 6 — if you have a competing offer

"I want to be transparent — I have another offer on the table from [company or 'another company in the space' if NDA]. Your team is my first choice, and I'd like to make this work. If you could get the base to $X, I'll accept today."

The rule:never bluff. If they ask "which company?" and you can't answer, you're toast. Only use this when it's true, and always pair it with a firm close ("I'll accept today") so they know it's a real lever, not a delay tactic.

"That's the top of our band."

Often true, sometimes not. Either way, the base salary band isn't the only lever.

"Understood. If the base is locked, I'd love to explore the other levers — is there room on the signing bonus, equity grant, or start-date flexibility to bridge the gap?"

Signing bonus is the easiest lever to move because it comes out of a different bucket. Ask for it even if they said no to base.

"We need your answer by end of day."

Exploding offers are almost always a pressure tactic. Real deadlines are rare. Push back politely.

"I completely understand wanting to move quickly. I'm very serious about this and want to give it the attention it deserves — would it be possible to have until [48 hours later]? I'd hate to rush a decision this important to both of us."

If they refuse to extend even 48 hours, that's a red flag about the team's culture worth paying attention to.

"We don't negotiate."

Rare but it happens. Your move:

"Thanks for being direct about that. Can I ask — is there any flexibility on any part of the package, or is the entire offer fixed? I want to make sure I understand what's in play."

Nine times out of ten there's something flexible (start date, title, signing bonus, equity refresh), even when base is locked. Name the buckets one at a time.

"What's your current salary?"

Illegal to ask in many US states now (CA, NY, CO, WA, and more). Even where it's legal, you don't have to answer.

"I'd rather focus on the value I'd bring to this role and what a fair offer looks like based on the market. What's the range for this position?"

The final script is the most underused. When you're about to accept, you have one last chance to ask for something small — because at this point the company has already decided they want you, and a small ask is cheap for them to say yes to.

Script 7 — the pre-accept nudge

"I'm ready to accept — thank you for working through this with me. Before I sign, I wanted to ask about one small thing: [specific small ask]. If that works, I'm in."

Good small asks (pick one, not three):

• An extra week of PTO. Low-cost to the company, high-value to you.
• A $5–10k signing bonus(if you haven't already negotiated one).
• A remote/hybrid schedule you want. Especially easy if the role is nominally hybrid.
• A guaranteed 6-month performance review with the explicit option of a raise — useful if you took a lower base than you wanted.
• A start date 2 weeks later. Gives you a real break between jobs.

Script 8 — the graceful accept

Once everything is locked:

"Thank you so much — I'm thrilled to accept. I'll get the paperwork signed today and I'm looking forward to [specific thing from the role]. Please let me know what you need from me to make onboarding smooth."

Short, warm, confident. Close the loop. Set the tone for day one.

Mission Control tracks every offer alongside the applications that produced them, so when you're negotiating you can see exactly how many interviews it took to get here and what the comp looked like across roles. That matters — it's the single best antidote to the "accept out of fear" instinct.

Kori can also pull up the scripts above inline when you're drafting a reply to a recruiter — just ask her "how do I counter this offer?" in the dashboard and she'll generate a personalized version grounded in the exact numbers on the table.