Claude Negotiation Script & Strategy Prompt
You are a negotiation coach trained in Harvard principled negotiation and Chris Voss's tactical empathy.
Category
💼 Business
Difficulty
Advanced
Models
2
Last Updated
2026-06-28
Works with
📄 Example output
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❓ FAQ
⚙️ Fill in your variables
📋 Prompt
You are a negotiation coach trained in Harvard principled negotiation and Chris Voss's tactical empathy.
Negotiation: [negotiation type — salary/contract/vendor/partnership]
Your position: [your position]
Their position: [their likely position]
Your BATNA: [your BATNA — Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement]
Task: Build a complete negotiation strategy:
1. ZOPA ANALYSIS: Zone of Possible Agreement — where is the overlap?
2. OPENING SCRIPT: Exact words to say when making your first ask
3. TACTICAL EMPATHY MOVES:
- 3 mirroring phrases for pushback
- Labelling technique for their concerns
- Calibrated questions to use (what/how, never why)
4. CONCESSION STRATEGY: What to give, what to hold, what order
5. THREE SCENARIO SCRIPTS:
- They accept immediately (move goalposts)
- They push back hard
- They ask 'what's your best offer?'
6. CLOSE: How to get verbal commitment and move to paperwork
7. DANGER PHRASES: Words that weaken your position
Negotiation: [negotiation type — salary/contract/vendor/partnership]
Your position: [your position]
Their position: [their likely position]
Your BATNA: [your BATNA — Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement]
Task: Build a complete negotiation strategy:
1. ZOPA ANALYSIS: Zone of Possible Agreement — where is the overlap?
2. OPENING SCRIPT: Exact words to say when making your first ask
3. TACTICAL EMPATHY MOVES:
- 3 mirroring phrases for pushback
- Labelling technique for their concerns
- Calibrated questions to use (what/how, never why)
4. CONCESSION STRATEGY: What to give, what to hold, what order
5. THREE SCENARIO SCRIPTS:
- They accept immediately (move goalposts)
- They push back hard
- They ask 'what's your best offer?'
6. CLOSE: How to get verbal commitment and move to paperwork
7. DANGER PHRASES: Words that weaken your position
SALARY NEGOTIATION — £82K offer, targeting £95K
ZOPA: Their ceiling likely £90–95K (typical 15–20% flex). Your floor: £88K (competing offer). Agreement zone exists.
OPENING SCRIPT:
'I'm genuinely excited about this role. Based on market data for Senior PMs in London and my track record — specifically reducing activation time by 72% at DataFlow — I was looking at something in the range of £95,000. Is there flexibility to get closer to that?'
Say the number. Then be silent. First person to speak after silence usually concedes.
IF THEY PUSH BACK HARD:
Mirror: 'That's above the band...' [pause, let them fill it]
Label: 'It sounds like the compensation structure has real constraints at this level.'
Calibrated Q: 'What would need to be true to get closer to that number?'
IF THEY ASK 'WHAT'S YOUR BEST OFFER?':
Never answer directly. 'I want us to find something that works for both sides. What's the most you can do?' — return the question.
DANGER PHRASES:
❌ 'I need at least X' — reveals your floor
❌ 'My current salary is X' — anchors to the past
❌ 'I just want to be fair' — you're the only one using that standard
ZOPA: Their ceiling likely £90–95K (typical 15–20% flex). Your floor: £88K (competing offer). Agreement zone exists.
OPENING SCRIPT:
'I'm genuinely excited about this role. Based on market data for Senior PMs in London and my track record — specifically reducing activation time by 72% at DataFlow — I was looking at something in the range of £95,000. Is there flexibility to get closer to that?'
Say the number. Then be silent. First person to speak after silence usually concedes.
IF THEY PUSH BACK HARD:
Mirror: 'That's above the band...' [pause, let them fill it]
Label: 'It sounds like the compensation structure has real constraints at this level.'
Calibrated Q: 'What would need to be true to get closer to that number?'
IF THEY ASK 'WHAT'S YOUR BEST OFFER?':
Never answer directly. 'I want us to find something that works for both sides. What's the most you can do?' — return the question.
DANGER PHRASES:
❌ 'I need at least X' — reveals your floor
❌ 'My current salary is X' — anchors to the past
❌ 'I just want to be fair' — you're the only one using that standard
🏆
💡 Pro Tips
Best model for this prompt
Claude
Claude (Opus 4 / Sonnet 4)
Silence is your most powerful tool — after making an ask, say nothing
Know your BATNA before every negotiation — it's the only thing that gives you the confidence to walk away
Never accept an offer on the day it arrives — always take 24 hours
In every negotiation there is at least one piece of information that would change everything — spend 20% of prep thinking about what you don't know
Negotiating against yourself before they push back
Making it personal — 'I need more' vs. 'Market rate for this experience is'
Forgetting non-salary items — equity, flexibility, signing bonus, title
Accepting the first offer — 80% of first offers have room to move
- Is it rude to negotiate?No. Employers expect negotiation. Most recruiters negotiate their own offers. A professional, evidence-based counter is almost always respected.
- What if I don't have another offer?Market rate data (Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, Levels.fyi) is a legitimate anchor. 'Based on market research for this level in this city' is genuine even without an alternative offer.
- What's the difference between Harvard and Voss approaches?Harvard focuses on interests not positions, creating mutual value. Voss adds psychological tools: tactical empathy, mirroring, labelling emotions, calibrated questions. They're complementary.
- Can Claude roleplay the negotiation with me?Yes — excellent use case. Assign Claude as the other party and practice your script. This rehearsal dramatically improves real-world performance.