Salary Negotiation Scripts That Don't Make You Look Cheap Or Desperate
The candidate loves the role. The team wants to hire them. Everyone's excited.
Then you present the offer. The candidate says "I was hoping for $10K more".
Here are the exact scripts for navigating salary negotiations without looking cheap, desperate, or incompetent.
Before The Offer: Set Expectations Early
The biggest salary negotiation mistakes happen before the offer is even extended.
During the first call, ask:
"Before we go too far, I want to make sure we're aligned on compensation expectations. What range are you targeting for your next role?"
Listen to their answer. If it's way above your range, address it immediately:
"Thanks for sharing. Our range for this role is $X-$Y. That's a bit below what you mentioned. Is that a dealbreaker, or is there flexibility depending on other factors like growth opportunity, equity, benefits, etc.?"
This saves everyone time. If they say "no way, I need $Z or I'm not interested," great—now you know before investing 6 hours in interviews. If they say "I'm flexible if the role is right," you've set realistic expectations.
When They Ask "What's The Range?" Before Applying
More states are requiring salary ranges in job postings. Even where it's not required, candidates increasingly expect this information upfront.
When a candidate asks about salary range before applying:
"The range for this role is $X-$Y base, plus [bonus/equity/benefits details]. Where someone lands in that range depends on their experience level and specific skills. Does that range work for you?"
Be direct. Give the real range. Don't play games.
If your company has a policy against sharing ranges, that's a company problem, not a candidate problem. Push back internally on policies that make your job harder. If you absolutely can't share a range, at minimum say "I can discuss salary expectations on our first call. Do you have a target range in mind?"
When The Candidate's Expectations Are Above Your Range
If they're 10-15% above your range:
"I appreciate you sharing that. Our target range is a bit below what you mentioned—we're looking at $X-$Y for this role. That said, there's some flexibility depending on the exact experience match and other factors. Would you be open to continuing the conversation to learn more about the role, and we can revisit compensation once we both have more information?"
This acknowledges the gap without immediately saying no. Sometimes candidates adjust their expectations after learning more about the role, growth opportunity, or company culture. Sometimes they don't, and you both save time finding out now.
If they're 30%+ above your range:
"Thanks for sharing. That's significantly above our budget for this role, which is $X-$Y. I don't want to waste your time if compensation is the primary factor. That said, if there's flexibility on your end given [interesting aspects of the role: growth opportunity, equity potential, company trajectory], I'd love to continue the conversation."
Be honest about the gap. Don't string candidates along pretending you might miraculously get approval for 30% more than budgeted. That wastes their time and yours.
When Presenting An Offer
Don't just email an offer letter and hope for acceptance. Call the candidate and walk through it.
Offer presentation script:
"[Candidate name], really excited to extend an offer. The team loved meeting you and we'd love to have you join. Let me walk through the details:
Base salary: $X Bonus: $Y (or equity: Z shares) Benefits: [key highlights - healthcare, 401k match, PTO, etc.] Start date: [date]
[Pause]
How does this sound? Do you have any initial questions?"
Present the full package, not just base salary. Then shut up and let them react.
Their first response tells you everything:
- "This looks great, I'm excited to accept" = You're done, congrats
- "I need to think about it" = There's an issue (probably compensation or another offer)
- "I was hoping for $Z" = Time to negotiate
When They Counter With A Higher Number
If their counter is within your available range:
"Let me talk to [hiring manager/leadership] about getting to $Z. I think there's a path there given your [specific experience/skills that justify the increase]. I'll get back to you by [specific time]. Does that work?"
Go negotiate internally. Come back with either approval or a counter.
If their counter is above your maximum:
"I hear you. $Z is above what we have budgeted for this role. Our max is $Y. I want to be transparent about that so we're not going back and forth unnecessarily.
That said, here are a few things that might make up the difference:
- [Equity/bonus structure if applicable]
- [Sign-on bonus if available]
- [Early review opportunity for raise if possible]
- [Other benefits: PTO, flexibility, etc.]
Given all of that, is $Y something that could work for you?"
Be honest about your ceiling. Don't pretend you're going to negotiate more when you know you can't. Highlight other value beyond base salary.
When They Have Another Offer
This is the worst position to be in but it happens constantly.
Script:
"I appreciate you being upfront about the other offer. We really want you on the team. Can you share what the other offer looks like so I can have an informed conversation with our leadership about matching or improving our offer?"
Some candidates will share details, some won't. If they share, you have information to work with. If they don't, you're operating blind but can still make your best offer.
If they share the competing offer:
"Thanks for sharing. Let me talk to the team and see what we can do to make our offer competitive. Beyond compensation, what factors are most important in your decision? [Listen for: culture, growth, role scope, team, flexibility, location, etc.]"
Understanding their priorities beyond money gives you leverage. If the other offer pays $10K more but requires full-time in office and your role is remote, that's relevant. If their priority is career growth and your role has better advancement opportunity, emphasize that.
If you can match or beat the competing offer:
"We really want you on the team. Based on what you shared, we're prepared to offer $X [matching or exceeding the competing offer]. Does that address your concerns?"
If you can't match the competing offer:
"I understand the other offer is higher. Unfortunately, we can't match $X—our absolute maximum for this role is $Y. I know that's a gap.
What I can tell you is [emphasize non-salary advantages: growth opportunity, team quality, company trajectory, flexibility, culture, whatever is genuinely true and relevant].
I know it's a tough decision. We'd love to have you, but I also understand if the compensation difference is the deciding factor. Do you need more time to think, or are there other ways we could make this work?"
Be honest about your limits. Don't make promises you can't keep. Emphasize what you can offer beyond salary.
Sometimes you lose candidates to higher offers. That's life. Don't take it personally or burn bridges. The candidate who picks another offer today might come back in 6 months when that job doesn't work out.
When You Need To Get Internal Approval For Higher Offer
Don't promise anything before checking.
What NOT to say: "Yeah, I'm sure we can get to $X, let me check."
What TO say: "Let me talk to [hiring manager/leadership] about getting to $X and I'll get back to you by [specific time/date]. I can't promise we'll get there, but I'll advocate for it given your [specific qualifications]. Does that timing work for you?"
Set realistic expectations. Give a specific timeline. Then go negotiate internally.
When you get approval:
"Good news—we can do $X. I'm sending over the updated offer letter now. Really excited to have you join the team!"
When you don't get full approval but get some movement:
"I talked to the team. We can't quite get to $X, but we can do $Y [higher than original offer but below their ask]. Given your [qualifications], the team agreed you're worth the investment. Does that work?"
When you get zero movement:
"I went to bat for you internally but unfortunately our budget for this role is firm at $X. I know that's not what you were hoping for. Given everything else the role offers—[growth, team, company, benefits, whatever is genuinely valuable]—is there a path forward at $X?"
When The Candidate Keeps Asking For More
Some candidates negotiate past the point of reason.
"I appreciate that you're advocating for yourself—that's a good quality. That said, we've already increased the offer from $X to $Y to meet you partway. $Y is our final offer for this role. I need to know if that works for you so we can move forward or free up the position for other candidates. Can you let me know by [specific date] whether you're in?"
Push for a decision. Endless negotiation wastes time and signals potential issues with the candidate. If they can't make a decision after a reasonable counteroffer, they're either not that interested or going to be difficult to work with.
The Bottom Line
Salary negotiation is normal and expected. Don't take it personally when candidates ask for more money.
The key is balancing advocacy for the candidate with fiscal responsibility to your company. Be honest about constraints. Emphasize total value beyond salary. Know when to push internally and when to hold the line.
Most importantly: set compensation expectations early so you're not surprising candidates with lowball offers at the finish line. That's where most salary negotiations go wrong.
Sources:
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