Help me prepare for a negotiation with [COUNTERPARTY] about [NEGOTIATION SUBJECT]. My objective, priorities, and constraints are [MY POSITION]. The other party's known interests, objections, and context are [THEIR POSITION]. The facts, commitments, and authority limits I can rely on are [KNOWN FACTS]. The immediate next step I want is [NEXT STEP]. First, separate positions from underlying interests. Identify my target outcome, acceptable range, walk-away condition, and any items I must not trade without approval. Then identify two or three plausible counterpart interests or pressures, labeling each as known, likely, or unknown. Do not infer hidden motives as facts. Produce: 1. A negotiation brief with my target, reservation point, tradeable variables, non-negotiables, unanswered questions, and a BATNA only if I provide enough information to define one.
2. Three package options: a preferred proposal, a conditional compromise, and a face-saving alternative. Each must use explicit give-get language and preserve my stated limits.
3. A 150-220 word email or call opening that acknowledges the shared objective, states a specific proposal, asks one diagnostic question, and requests [NEXT STEP].
4. Five concise responses to likely objections, including a response that slows the conversation when I lack authority.
Do not invent market rates, deadlines, legal rights, competing offers, concessions, or decision authority. Do not advise deception, threats, or coercion. For a contract, employment, legal dispute, or high-value transaction, identify questions that should go to a qualified lawyer, broker, or authorized decision-maker.
Before answering, check that every concession has a reciprocal condition and that the proposed next step is concrete. If a required input is missing, ask up to three clarifying questions.Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [COUNTERPARTY] | Name or describe the person or organization and your relationship with them. | Maya, procurement manager at a 220-person software company and an existing client |
| [NEGOTIATION SUBJECT] | State what is being negotiated, such as price, scope, salary, renewal, or delivery terms. | Annual renewal price and implementation scope for a support analytics platform |
| [MY POSITION] | Describe your desired outcome, priorities, acceptable limits, and items you cannot change. | Target $42,000 annual contract; can offer a 5% discount for two-year prepayment; cannot add custom integrations without services fees; walk away below $37,000. |
| [THEIR POSITION] | List what the other party has said, their apparent concerns, and relevant context. | Maya says the budget is flat and wants Slack and Jira integrations included; renewal is due in three weeks. |
| [KNOWN FACTS] | Provide confirmed facts, prior agreements, timing, and your actual decision authority. | Current contract is $38,000; client uses the core reporting product; standard integrations cost $4,000 in services; I can approve the listed discount but not nonstandard terms. |
| [NEXT STEP] | State the specific call, written confirmation, or decision you want to secure next. | A 30-minute renewal call on Tuesday to choose one package and confirm owners |
How to use
- Enter your real limits before asking for language; do not let a draft determine what you are actually willing to concede.
- Check the brief for distinctions between confirmed information and assumptions about the other party.
- Use the package options to prepare choices, then customize the opening for the channel and relationship.
- Send this follow-up: "Make the preferred option firmer and replace any assumption about Maya's budget with a diagnostic question."
Variations
Salary negotiation
Use this after receiving an offer and before discussing compensation.
Prepare a salary negotiation response for [ROLE AND EMPLOYER]. The offer is [OFFER DETAILS]. My relevant evidence is [MARKET AND ACHIEVEMENT EVIDENCE], and my priorities are [PRIORITIES AND LIMITS]. Produce a concise negotiation brief, three compensation packages that may include salary, sign-on, equity, review timing, or flexibility, and a 180-word email requesting [NEXT STEP]. Do not state market data unless provided and do not misrepresent another offer. Check that every request connects to evidence and that I have not implied an acceptance.
Vendor scope
Use this when protecting margin or delivery quality in a client scope discussion.
Draft a scope negotiation plan for [PROJECT] with [CLIENT]. The agreed work, requested additions, budget, and dates are [PROJECT FACTS]. My delivery limits are [LIMITS], and I want [NEXT STEP]. Provide a change-control summary, three give-get options, and a 160-word email. Distinguish included work from new work, state assumptions that need confirmation, and attach each deadline change to a scope decision. Do not promise delivery capacity or pricing that is not supplied. Check that the client can clearly choose an option.
Lease renewal
Use this when preparing a commercial or residential lease renewal discussion.
Help me prepare a lease renewal negotiation with [LANDLORD OR MANAGER] for [PROPERTY]. My current terms and desired changes are [CURRENT TERMS AND GOALS]. The documented market information and property issues are [EVIDENCE]. Create a discussion brief, two conditional proposals, and a respectful 170-word email requesting [NEXT STEP]. Do not give legal conclusions, invent comparable rents, or advise withholding obligations. Flag clauses, notice requirements, or local tenant-law questions that need a qualified local professional. Check that dates and requested terms are explicit.
Tips
- Write your reservation point before drafting a message; without it, an AI can make a compromise sound reasonable when it violates your real limit.
- Trade variables that cost you little but matter to the other side, such as term length, payment timing, implementation sequence, or review dates.
- Phrase concessions conditionally: "If we can agree to X, I can do Y." This prevents one-sided movement.
- Treat counterpart motives as hypotheses until they confirm them; ask diagnostic questions instead of negotiating against a story you invented.
FAQ
Can AI tell me what price to accept?
It can organize your criteria and scenarios, but it cannot know your risk tolerance, alternatives, or current market conditions without reliable evidence.
What is a BATNA in a negotiation prompt?
It is your best alternative if no agreement is reached. Include it only when you can describe a real alternative, not a bluff.
Should I send the AI-written negotiation email unchanged?
Use it as a draft. Verify every figure, deadline, promise, and statement of authority before sending.