By Eleanor Brooks

The Salary
Negotiation
Playbook

A step-by-step workbook to prepare, practice, and win your next salary conversation.

Know Your Value Research Your Market Build Your Script Handle Objections Pre-Negotiation Checklist Post-Negotiation Debrief

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How to Use This Workbook

This is not an ebook. You do not read it. You work through it. Every section moves you from vague hope to a clear, prepared position before your salary conversation. The more honestly you fill this in, the stronger you will be walking in.

  1. 1Block 45 minutes with no interruptions. Treat this like the negotiation itself.
  2. 2Answer every question honestly. Vague answers produce vague results.
  3. 3Do Section 5 last. It comes easily once the earlier sections are complete.
  4. 4Bring this page to your pre-meeting prep. Review it the morning of.
  5. 5Complete the Post-Negotiation Debrief within 24 hours of your conversation.
Section 1 Know Your Value

You cannot negotiate what you cannot articulate. Start here. Write three specific accomplishments from the past 12 months. Each one needs a result — not just what you did, but what it delivered.

e.g. Led migration to new CRM. Reduced onboarding time by 40%, saving 6 hours per week team-wide.
Think about institutional knowledge, key relationships, specialised skills, or ongoing projects only you own.
Deeper Value Questions
Include performance review notes, praise in meetings, or written recognition.
This is not your opening script. It is your internal anchor. Read it before the meeting.
Section 2 Market Research

Your number must be anchored in data, not just a feeling. Use Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, LinkedIn Salary, Payscale, or industry reports to research the market rate for your role, level, and location before filling this in.

Your Current Situation
Market Rate Research
e.g. Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, industry salary survey, conversations with peers
Above average, average, or below average? Be honest. This shapes your ask.
Section 3 Your Number

Decide before the conversation. Never improvise your number in the meeting. Three numbers matter: your floor (the minimum you will accept), your target (what you actually want), and your opening ask (what you say first). Your opening ask should sit above your target, because they will negotiate down.

My Floor

(Minimum I Will Accept)

Never accept below this number.

My Target

(What I Actually Want)

Your real goal. Anchor your research here.

My Opening Ask

(What I Say First)

Set 10–15% above your target.

e.g. "Based on my research and the results I have delivered, this aligns with the market rate for my scope."
e.g. extra vacation days, remote work days, equity, signing bonus, an earlier review date
Section 4 Your BATNA

BATNA = Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. This is your leverage. If this negotiation fails, what is your next move? The person with the strongest alternative has the most negotiating power. Knowing yours, even if you never use it, keeps you calm and clear-headed.

e.g. Stay and revisit in 6 months, apply elsewhere, pursue a promotion, go freelance, etc.
Strength Assessment
Do I have a competing offer or opportunity I could pursue?
Am I currently being recruited by other companies?
Would my departure create a meaningful problem for my team?
Have I been approached for roles that pay more?
Overall, my negotiating position is:
Know Your Walk-Away Point
Be specific and honest. This is for your eyes only.
Section 5 Build Your Script

Write the exact words you will say. Do not improvise your opening. Fill in every blank below using everything you completed in Sections 1 to 4. Once complete, read it out loud three times. That is your preparation.

Your Opening Statement
"I'd like to discuss aligning my compensation with the impact of my role."

"Over the past , I have delivered:
•
•
•

"My responsibilities now include and the market rate for this scope is ."

"I would like to move my compensation to ."
The rule: Say your number. Then stop talking and wait. Silence is leverage, not awkwardness.
Write: "I will stop talking and wait."
Section 6 Objection Prep

Every objection they might raise, you already have an answer for. Write your prepared response to each scenario. If you have already thought it through, the words will come naturally when you need them.

They say:"There is no budget right now."
Tip: Accept the answer without accepting it as final. Ask for a specific timeline and what milestones would trigger the budget conversation.
They say:"We will revisit this at your next review."
Tip: Turn the vague promise into a concrete commitment. Ask what results would need to happen for the conversation to move forward, and agree on a specific date.
They say:"You are already at the top of your band."
Tip: Ask what it would take to move to the next band, or whether a title change could create room. Keep the focus on your growth path, not the current ceiling.
They say:"We do not give off-cycle raises."
Tip: Acknowledge the policy, then redirect. Ask whether exceptional performance qualifies for an exception, or when the next cycle opens and what you would need to show by then.
They say:"Everyone got the same increase."
Tip: Redirect from comparison to contribution. You are not asking for more than others received. You are asking for recognition of specific results that go beyond a standard adjustment.
They say:"The economy is uncertain right now."
Tip: Acknowledge the context without backing down. Ask what conditions would need to be in place for the conversation to move forward, and agree on a date to revisit.
Checklist Pre-Negotiation Checklist

Complete this the morning of your conversation. Do not skip any item. If you cannot check every box, you are not ready — and that is useful information too.

Preparation
  • I can state my top three accomplishments clearly without looking at notes.
  • I know my floor, my target, and my opening ask.
  • My number is backed by market data, not just a feeling.
  • I know my BATNA and I am genuinely prepared to act on it.
  • I have practised my opening statement out loud at least three times.
  • I have a prepared response to the top objections.
  • After stating my number, I will stop talking and wait.
  • I am calm and not emotionally attached to the outcome.
  • The meeting has enough time. It is not rushed or squeezed.
  • My key numbers are written down and within reach if needed.
  • The conversation will take place privately, not in a group.
  • I will not apologise for requesting this conversation.
  • I will not reference personal financial pressure as a reason.
  • I am prepared to listen fully before responding.
  • I will not accept or decline on the spot. I will ask for time if needed.
  • I know what my follow-up email will say regardless of the outcome.
  • I have time blocked after the meeting to complete my debrief.
  • I am entering this as a peer in a business discussion, not asking a favour.
  • I have eaten, rested, and I am not going in tired or rushed.
  • I have removed "just", "sorry", and "I think" from my language today.
Day-Of Reminders
  • Arrive (or log in) five minutes early. Never rushed.
  • Shoulders back. Pace slow. Voice down at the end of sentences.
  • After stating your number, pause. Let silence do its job.
  • If the answer is vague, ask: "Can you give me a specific timeline?"
Debrief Post-Negotiation Debrief

Complete this within 24 hours. Whatever the outcome, this debrief is worth doing. It captures what happened, what you learned, and what your next move is.

My Next Step — and the Date I Will Take It:
If outcome was positive: send confirmation email today. If deferred: get a follow-up date confirmed. If declined: plan your next move.
Closing A Closing Note

You are more prepared than most people
who ever walk into this conversation.

Most professionals go into salary conversations hoping for the best. You have done the work. You know your value, your number, your BATNA, your script, and your answers to the objections.

That kind of preparation changes how you feel walking in. Calm comes from knowing your numbers. Confidence comes from having rehearsed the words. When you carry both, people respond differently.

  • 1.You are confirming value already delivered, not asking for a favour.
  • 2.Silence after your number is not awkward. It is leverage.
  • 3.Whatever the outcome, you will follow up in writing within 24 hours.

Now close this workbook. You are ready.

— Eleanor Brooks

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