# AI Negotiation Coach: Scenario Starter Pack These are ready-to-use prompts for your AI Negotiation Coach. Copy any scenario below, fill in the bracketed details, and paste it into a new chat in your Negotiation Coach project. Each scenario includes: - **The prompt**: paste this directly into the chat - **What the coach will do**: so you know what to expect - **Follow-up prompts**: to go deeper after the initial strategy session --- ## SCENARIO 1: SALARY NEGOTIATION ### The Prompt ``` I'm preparing to negotiate my compensation and I need your help building a strategy. Here's my situation: ROLE: [Job title you're negotiating for: new offer or current position renegotiation] CURRENT/OFFERED COMP: [What they've offered or what you currently make. Include base, bonus, equity, benefits if relevant] MY TARGET: [What you want to walk away with. Be specific on base, total comp, or whatever matters most] MY WALKAWAY: [The minimum you'd accept before declining or staying put] WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THEIR POSITION: [Budget constraints, how badly they need you, competing candidates, timeline pressure, anything you've picked up] MY LEVERAGE: [Other offers, specialized skills, relationships, track record, anything that strengthens your position] WHAT CONCERNS ME: [What makes this negotiation tricky: they already seem firm, I don't want to damage the relationship, I don't know the market rate, etc.] Help me prepare. I want a full strategy before I go into this conversation. ``` ### What the Coach Will Do The coach will analyze your leverage, estimate the employer's BATNA and ZOPA, identify your strongest negotiation angles, build an accusation audit for potential pushback, and give you specific language to use at each stage of the conversation. If a number-focused negotiation, it may walk you through the Ackerman method with your specific figures. ### Follow-Up Prompts After the initial strategy session, paste any of these to go deeper: **Draft the actual conversation:** ``` Now help me draft exactly what I'll say: opening, how I'll present my number, how I'll respond to pushback, and how I'll close. Give me the actual words, not summaries. ``` **Practice with role-play:** ``` Let's role-play this. You be the hiring manager. Push back on my number, try to anchor me lower, and use whatever tactics you think they're likely to use. I'll practice my responses. After we're done, debrief me on what I did well and what I should change. ``` **Handle a specific objection:** ``` They're likely to say [specific objection: "that's above our budget," "we don't negotiate base salary," "the equity makes up for it," etc.]. How do I handle that without caving or damaging the relationship? ``` --- ## SCENARIO 2: VENDOR / CONTRACTOR PRICING ### The Prompt ``` I need to negotiate pricing with a vendor and I want to make sure I handle this well. Here's the situation: WHAT THEY'RE PROVIDING: [Service, product, or deliverable; be specific about scope] THEIR QUOTE: [The number they gave you; include any terms like monthly, per project, retainer, etc.] MY BUDGET: [What you can actually spend; be honest about your ceiling] THE GAP: [How far apart you are, and how flexible you think each side is] OUR RELATIONSHIP: [New vendor, existing relationship, referral, competitive bid; context matters] THEIR ALTERNATIVES: [Are they busy? Do they need this work? Are you one of many prospects or their top priority?] MY ALTERNATIVES: [Other vendors you're considering, ability to do it in-house, or ability to delay/skip entirely] WHAT MATTERS BEYOND PRICE: [Timeline, quality, ongoing relationship, payment terms, scope flexibility] Help me build a strategy to negotiate this down to something that works, without burning the relationship or getting a worse deliverable. ``` ### What the Coach Will Do The coach will map both sides' leverage, identify non-monetary levers you can trade (scope, timeline, payment terms, future work), build a specific approach for the pricing conversation, and give you scripts for common vendor pushback patterns. It will check whether splitting the difference is being used as a crutch and suggest creative alternatives. ### Follow-Up Prompts **Draft the email or message:** ``` Help me write the email where I push back on their quote. I want to be direct but not adversarial; I may want to work with them long-term. Give me 2-3 versions with different strategic angles. ``` **Prepare for their counter:** ``` If they come back at [likely counter-number or position], what's my next move? Walk me through the back-and-forth from here, round by round. ``` **Evaluate whether to walk:** ``` Help me pressure-test whether I should even be negotiating here, or if my BATNA is strong enough that I should walk and go with [alternative]. What am I not seeing? ``` --- ## SCENARIO 3: BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP TERMS ### The Prompt ``` I'm entering a partnership discussion and I need help structuring my approach before we get into specifics. Here's what I know: THE PARTNERSHIP: [What this partnership is about: joint venture, revenue share, co-development, referral arrangement, equity partnership, etc.] THE OTHER PARTY: [Who they are, what they bring, their reputation, your existing relationship] WHAT THEY WANT: [Their stated position: equity split, revenue share percentage, decision authority, exclusivity, whatever they've put on the table] WHAT I WANT: [Your ideal structure; be specific about split, control, timeline, exit terms] WHAT I THINK THEY ACTUALLY NEED: [Your read on their underlying interests: security, credibility, cash flow, control, upside, etc.] WHAT CONCERNS ME: [Power imbalance, misaligned incentives, unclear roles, lack of trust, past issues, anything keeping you up at night] TIMELINE: [When does this need to be resolved? What's driving the timeline?] Help me think through this strategically. I want to go into this conversation with a clear framework, not just react to whatever they propose. ``` ### What the Coach Will Do The coach will separate positions from interests for both sides, identify potential asymmetric trades, flag common partnership traps (scope creep, role confusion, misaligned incentives), help you structure a proposal that addresses their interests while protecting yours, and prepare you for the most likely points of friction. ### Follow-Up Prompts **Map the stakeholders:** ``` There are actually [number] people involved in this decision on their side: [names/roles]. Help me map the power dynamics and figure out who I need to convince, who's an ally, and who could block this. ``` **Draft the proposal:** ``` Help me write a partnership proposal document. I want something I can send them that frames the deal in their terms, addresses their concerns proactively, and makes my preferred structure feel like the natural solution. Use the accusation audit approach. ``` **Stress-test the structure:** ``` Play devil's advocate on this partnership structure. What could go wrong in 6 months? 12 months? Where are the misaligned incentives? What should I be protecting against in the written agreement? ``` --- ## SCENARIO 4: REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION ### The Prompt ``` I'm in a real estate negotiation and I want help getting the best possible terms. Here's the situation: I'M THE: [Buyer / Seller] THE PROPERTY: [Type, location, approximate value: enough context for the coach to understand the stakes] CURRENT STATUS: [Where things stand: listed, under contract, counter-offer stage, inspection period, etc.] THE NUMBERS: [Asking price, my offer/target, any contingencies, closing timeline, other financial terms] THE OTHER SIDE: [What I know about the seller/buyer: motivation, timeline pressure, emotional attachment, other offers, agent dynamics] MY LEVERAGE: [Cash offer, flexibility on closing date, pre-approval strength, other properties you're considering] MY CONCERNS: [Inspection issues, appraisal gap, multiple offers, emotional seller, agent playing games, financing timeline, etc.] WHAT I NEED HELP WITH: [Overall strategy, specific counter-offer, how to handle a tricky agent, whether to push or hold, etc.] Help me navigate this negotiation. I want specific tactical advice, not general real estate wisdom. ``` ### What the Coach Will Do The coach will analyze leverage on both sides, identify what the other party likely cares about beyond price (closing date, certainty, contingencies, emotional factors), recommend specific tactics for your position in the deal cycle, and help you craft offers or counters that maximize your outcome while keeping the deal alive. ### Follow-Up Prompts **Draft the counter-offer strategy:** ``` They came back at [counter-offer details]. Help me decide: do I counter again, accept, or walk? If I counter, what number and terms should I use, and what's the strategic reasoning? Give me the exact language for my agent to use. ``` **Handle a specific complication:** ``` [Describe the complication: inspection found issues, appraisal came in low, seller is getting emotional, competing offer appeared, financing hit a snag, etc.] How do I handle this without losing the deal or giving up more than I should? ``` **Negotiate repairs or credits:** ``` Inspection is done and here's what came up: [list issues]. Help me figure out what to ask for, how to frame the request, and how to respond if they push back. I don't want to kill the deal over small stuff, but I don't want to leave money on the table either. ``` --- ## SCENARIO 5: CLIENT / SALES DEAL ### The Prompt ``` I'm working on closing a deal with a client and I'm hitting resistance. I need help navigating this to a signed agreement. Here's the situation: WHAT I'M SELLING: [Product, service, or engagement; describe the scope clearly] THE CLIENT: [Who they are, their role, their company, their decision-making authority] THE DEAL SIZE: [Revenue/contract value at stake] WHERE WE STAND: [Proposal sent, verbal yes but no signature, back-and-forth on terms, going dark, etc.] THE RESISTANCE: [What's holding them up: price, scope, timing, internal politics, competing options, fear, indecision, need approval from above, etc.] WHAT I'VE TRIED: [What you've already done to move this forward: follow-ups, concessions, conversations] WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THEIR NEEDS: [Their pain points, what they've told you matters, their timeline, their budget signals] MY WALKAWAY: [At what point does this deal stop being worth it for you?] Help me figure out what's actually going on here and build a plan to get this across the finish line, without chasing or discounting my way there. ``` ### What the Coach Will Do The coach will diagnose the most likely cause of resistance (price, trust, internal politics, decision fatigue, counterfeit yes), check whether you're dealing with the real decision-maker, evaluate whether your follow-up pattern is showing neediness, and build a specific re-engagement strategy. It will produce actual scripts and emails, not just advice. ### Follow-Up Prompts **Draft the re-engagement message:** ``` Help me write the next message to this client. I want to re-engage without looking desperate. Use a no-oriented approach: give them an easy way to say no, which usually gets them talking again. Draft 2-3 versions. ``` **Role-play the objection:** ``` Let's role-play. You be the client. Hit me with the objection I'm most likely to face: [their likely pushback]. I'll practice handling it. Then debrief me. ``` **Decide whether to move on:** ``` I've been working this deal for [time period]. Help me honestly evaluate: is this a deal that's going to close, or am I chasing? What are the signs I should read here? If I should move on, how do I do it in a way that leaves the door open? ``` --- ## HOW TO USE THESE SCENARIOS 1. **Pick the scenario** closest to your situation 2. **Fill in the brackets** with your real details: the more specific you are, the better the coach performs 3. **Paste it into a new chat** in your Negotiation Coach project 4. **Work through the strategy**, then use the follow-up prompts to go deeper 5. **Come back between rounds**: after each interaction with the other party, update the coach on what happened and get adjusted advice The more context you share, the more specific and useful the coaching becomes. Don't hold back details; the coach works best when it knows the full picture. --- *These 5 scenarios cover the most common negotiation situations. For 15 additional scenarios including advanced multi-party negotiations, role-play practice against specific counterparty tactics, and guided interactive tools, see the Expansion Pack.*