Originally published at https://easedit.co/blog/salary-negotiation-script
How to Negotiate Salary: A Word-for-Word Script
Most candidates don't negotiate. Not because they don't want to — but because they don't know what to say, and the silence fills itself with imagined consequences.
The research is clear: candidates who negotiate receive higher starting salaries without meaningful negative consequences in the vast majority of cases. The risk of politely negotiating a job offer is low. The risk of not negotiating compounds over years of salary growth.
This is a word-for-word script. Adapt it to your voice, but use the structure.
Before you start: what you need
- Your benchmarked market rate (see salary benchmarking guide)
- The written offer in hand
- A specific number — not a range
The initial counter-offer call
This happens on a phone call, not by email. Email negotiation is slower and harder to read. Call the hiring manager or recruiter directly.
Opening:
"Thank you for the offer — I'm genuinely excited about the role and the team. I was hoping we could talk briefly about the compensation."
[Wait for them to say yes.]
The ask:
"Based on my research into market rates for this role in [location], and given my background in [specific relevant experience], I was expecting something closer to [specific number]. Is there flexibility to get to [that number]?"
[Then stop. Don't fill the silence. Wait for their response.]
Key principles in that phrasing:
- You cited a reason (market research, your background) — not just "I want more"
- You named a specific number — not a range
- You asked a closed question — "is there flexibility?" — which requires a direct answer
- You stopped talking
If they say yes immediately
Accept. Don't escalate just because they agreed quickly. A quick yes doesn't mean you left money on the table — it means you asked appropriately.
"That's great — thank you. I'm happy to confirm acceptance at [new number]."
If they say no or push back
"I understand — could you help me understand what the constraints are? Is the base salary fixed, or is there flexibility I'm not seeing?"
This is not a second ask. It's information gathering. Their answer will tell you whether there's room elsewhere (signing bonus, equity, start date, additional leave, early performance review).
If there's a counter below your ask
"I appreciate you coming back to me. Would you be able to get to [your original number]? That's the number I'd be comfortable at."
Hold the number once. If they come back below it again, you have a decision: accept or decline. But hold it once — candidates who immediately drop their number signal they didn't believe it in the first place.
Accepting the final offer
"That works for me. I'd like to accept at [agreed number]. I'll send a written confirmation today."
Then send the written confirmation the same day — see how to accept a job offer for the exact format.
Practice makes the difference
Salary negotiation is a conversation, not a transaction. The candidates who do it well have usually rehearsed it — out loud, not just in their head.
easedit.co's AI interviewer runs through behavioural and situational scenarios that include exactly this kind of high-stakes professional conversation. Hearing yourself say "is there flexibility to get to [number]?" out loud once before you need to say it to a hiring manager is worth more than reading the script ten times.
Practise your interview with easedit.co — voice AI, from $29, no data stored.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will negotiating make the company rescind my offer?
Rarely. Employers expect negotiation — the vast majority factor in a counter-offer when they make an initial offer. An offer being rescinded after a polite, professional counter is extremely uncommon and typically signals something else was already wrong with the process.
What if they say the salary is fixed?
Ask about non-salary terms: signing bonus, remote flexibility, start date, additional leave, equity or performance review timing. Many companies have more flexibility on these than on base salary. "I understand the base is fixed — is there flexibility elsewhere?" often opens a different conversation.
When is the right moment to negotiate?
After you have a written offer. Not during the interview, not after a verbal offer over the phone before you've seen the numbers in writing. Once you have the letter, you have something concrete to negotiate against.
Want to put this into practice?
easedit.co lets you run a full AI-powered mock interview, get scored feedback on your answers, and track your improvement over time. No signup required to try your first session.
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