negotiating-offers

What this skill does

# Negotiating Offers

## Scope

**Covers**
- Negotiating an employment offer (cash + equity + role scope) with a clear plan and scripts
- Negotiating **success conditions** (resources, budget, headcount, authority, expectations) before/alongside compensation
- Clarifying “features vs experiences” trade-offs (money/title vs learning/autonomy/mentorship)
- Proposing alternative structures when helpful (e.g., part-time or contract as a bridge)

**When to use**
- “Help me negotiate this offer (salary/equity/title/level/start date).”
- “Write a counteroffer email + call agenda.”
- “I want to negotiate for resources so I can succeed in the role.”
- “I’m optimizing for learning/flexibility, not just comp—help me structure the ask.”

**When NOT to use**
- You need legal/financial/tax advice (this skill is not a substitute for a lawyer/CPA).
- You’re negotiating a vendor/enterprise contract, severance agreement, or union/CBA terms.
- You don’t have any concrete offer or decision context yet (first gather basics; then use this).
- You’re in an urgent HR escalation (PIP/investigation/termination risk) where process/legal counsel matters most.

## Inputs

**Minimum required**
- Target role/company + current stage (verbal offer vs written offer)
- Offer details you’re comfortable sharing (can be ranges or redacted): base, bonus, equity, level/title, location/remote, start date
- Your decision timeline (deadline, other interviews/offers, constraints)
- Your priorities (must-haves, nice-to-haves, dealbreakers) and what you’re optimizing for (features vs experiences)
- Your best alternative / leverage (can be vague; do not disclose confidential details)
- Role-success hypotheses: what resources/commitments you’ll need to succeed (team, budget, authority, scope, tech debt, OKRs)

**Missing-info strategy**
- Ask **3–5 questions at a time** from [references/INTAKE.md](references/INTAKE.md).
- If comp numbers are missing, proceed using **relative moves** (percent, ranges) and non-comp levers.
- If the user is uncomfortable sharing details, redact and continue; never request secrets or confidential employer information.

## Outputs (deliverables)

Produce an **Offer Negotiation Pack** (in chat as Markdown; or as files if requested) in this order:

1) **Offer Snapshot + Timeline** (what’s on the table, who’s involved, dates)
2) **Goals, Priorities, BATNA** (what you want, what you’ll trade, walk-away line)
3) **Success Conditions & Resourcing Asks** (requests framed as needed to hit outcomes)
4) **Offer Components & Tradeoff Matrix** (features vs experiences; what to negotiate)
5) **Ask Package (A/B/C) + Negotiation Strategy** (sequence + rationale)
6) **Scripts Pack** (email(s) + call agenda + follow-up recap)
7) **Optional: Alternative Structure Proposal** (e.g., 3-days/week contract/part-time)
8) **Risks / Open questions / Next steps** (always)

Templates: [references/TEMPLATES.md](references/TEMPLATES.md)  
Expanded guidance: [references/WORKFLOW.md](references/WORKFLOW.md)

## Workflow (8 steps)

### 1) Intake + offer snapshot
- **Inputs:** user context; [references/INTAKE.md](references/INTAKE.md).
- **Actions:** Capture the offer components, decision deadline, stakeholders (recruiter, hiring manager), and constraints (location, visa, family, start date). Identify what’s already agreed vs still open.
- **Outputs:** **Offer Snapshot + Timeline**.
- **Checks:** Offer state is explicit (verbal vs written); deadlines and next meetings are listed.

### 2) Define goals, priorities, and BATNA (your leverage without bravado)
- **Inputs:** priorities; alternatives; risk tolerance.
- **Actions:** Convert wants into a ranked list: **must**, **tradeable**, **nice**, **no-go**. Define your BATNA in plain language (what you’ll do if this doesn’t work).
- **Outputs:** **Goals, Priorities, BATNA**.
- **Checks:** There is a clear walk-away line; priorities are consistent (no “must-have” contradictions).

### 3) Negotiate success conditions first (or in parallel)
- **Inputs:** role success hypotheses; known org context.
- **Actions:** Draft a “success conditions” conversation: what you need to deliver outcomes (headcount, budget, authority, access, OKRs). Turn requests into employer-friendly commitments and verification signals.
- **Outputs:** **Success Conditions & Resourcing Asks** + hiring-manager agenda questions.
- **Checks:** Each ask ties to business outcomes; each has a proposed verification method (written plan, role charter, org commitment).

### 4) Build the offer components + tradeoff matrix (features vs experiences)
- **Inputs:** offer; preferences (money/title vs learning/autonomy/flexibility).
- **Actions:** Inventory levers (cash, equity, sign-on, level/title, start date, scope, remote, learning budget, mentorship, role design). Identify the few highest-impact levers and plausible trade-offs.
- **Outputs:** **Offer Components & Tradeoff Matrix**.
- **Checks:** Tradeoffs are explicit (what you’ll give to get); no “ask for everything” list.

### 5) Create an A/B/C ask package (and anchor responsibly)
- **Inputs:** tradeoff matrix; BATNA; constraints.
- **Actions:** Draft three packages:
  - **A (ideal):** what you’d be thrilled with
  - **B (target):** what you expect is achievable
  - **C (floor):** what you can accept
  Include both comp and non-comp levers; choose the negotiation order (resources → comp; or parallel).
- **Outputs:** **Ask Package (A/B/C) + Negotiation Strategy**.
- **Checks:** Each package is internally consistent; C is genuinely acceptable; strategy respects timeline.

### 6) Optional: propose alternative structures (contract / part-time / phased)
- **Inputs:** user’s flexibility goals; employer constraints.
- **Actions:** If relevant, draft a low-risk alternative proposal (scope, days/week, trial period, deliverables, review point). Frame benefits to the employer (reduced risk, clear outputs).
- **Outputs:** **Alternative Structure Proposal** (optional).
- **Checks:** Proposal is specific (not “maybe contract?”); includes a clear trial + decision point.

### 7) Draft scripts + rehearse the negotiation
- **Inputs:** ask package; stakeholders; communication channel.
- **Actions:** Write: (a) recruiter email, (b) hiring-manager agenda, (c) comp conversation script, (d) follow-up recap note. Include respectful language, pauses, and “if/then” branches.
- **Outputs:** **Scripts Pack**.
- **Checks:** Scripts are short, specific, and polite; claims are truthful; no threats/bluffs.

### 8) Quality gate + finalize
- **Inputs:** full pack draft.
- **Actions:** Run [references/CHECKLISTS.md](references/CHECKLISTS.md) and score with [references/RUBRIC.md](references/RUBRIC.md). Tighten weak asks, remove vague language, add **Risks / Open questions / Next steps**, and produce a final negotiation-ready pack.
- **Outputs:** Final **Offer Negotiation Pack**.
- **Checks:** Pack is executable end-to-end; risks and unknowns are explicit; next meeting and next message are ready to send.

## Quality gate (required)
- Use [references/CHECKLISTS.md](references/CHECKLISTS.md) and [references/RUBRIC.md](references/RUBRIC.md).
- Always include: **Risks**, **Open questions**, **Next steps**.

## Examples

**Example 1 (resources + comp):** “I got a PM offer from a Series B startup. The role seems under-resourced. Help me negotiate for the right headcount/budget and a better equity package, and draft the recruiter email + hiring-manager agenda.”  
Expected: Offer Negotiation Pack with success-conditions asks and a clear A/B/C package.

**Example 2 (optimize for experiences):** “I have two offers. One pays more, the other has better mentorship and autonomy. Help me compare trade-offs and negotiate for mentorship/training budget without losing the offer.”  
Expected: Tradeoff matrix + experience-focused asks + scripts.

**Boundary example:** “Negotiate a SaaS vendor contract renewal with legal terms and procurement.”  
Response: out of scope; use a procurement/legal negotiatio