PRODUCT · PDF + NOTION
The script for when you’re
trying to make more money.
A fill-in-the-blank script for the eight conversations you’ll actually have when you’re trying to make more money. Not advice. Not affirmations. Sentences. With the math behind each one.
You read it once. You fill in your numbers. You have the conversations. You make more money.
one-time payment · pdf + notion template · lifetime updates when bls releases new occupational data · no drm · no upsell · no money-back guarantee.
BY THE NUMBERS
What’s actually in the file.
8
conversation scripts
32
counter-objection lines
4
follow-up emails
1
walk-away formula
// every script is sourced. every number cites the public BLS dataset.
// a 1% raise on an $80k base pays for the script 27× in year one.
What you get
- 01
RECEIPTS WORKSHEET
The Receipts Worksheet
A fill-in-the-blank table where you write down your current base, your role’s BLS occupation code, your metro’s 75th-percentile wage from the BLS OEWS, and the gap. Output: a defensible target salary you can put in an email.
- 02
8 CONVERSATIONS
Eight conversation scripts
Each one has an opening line, the ask, three counter-objection scripts, and the close. Conversations covered: internal raise ask, post-offer counter, retention counter, cold recruiter screen, leveling discussion, equity refresh, total-comp negotiation, and the “I’m leaving unless” conversation.
- 03
4 EMAILS
Follow-up email templates
Written for you to paste into Gmail before the meeting and send within the hour after. They are short legal documents disguised as polite confirmations. Both are true.
- 04
WALK-AWAY MATH
Three numbered conditions
Three numbered conditions that tell you when to actually leave. We are the only negotiation guide we’ve seen that does this; most stop short of telling you to quit.
- 05
NEGATIVE SPACE
Appendix on what NOT to say
A short list of phrases that tank the conversation, with the receipts on why each one tanks it. Read this once before the meeting; cross out the line you would have said.
Why the BLS is the source
Every salary band conversation at every mid-to-large company eventually references the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. It’s the public, primary, free dataset HR comp teams benchmark against. If your ask cites BLS, you and the manager are looking at the same numbers. That converts the conversation from feeling-vs-feeling to data-vs-data — which is the conversation you want.
Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, and Payscale are useful inputs but they’re self-reported and noisy. The script uses them as cross-checks; the primary citation is always BLS.
Who this is for
You have a job. The pay is below what your role pays at peer companies. Or your last raise was below inflation. Or you got an offer from somewhere else and you don’t know how to use it. Or you’re about to take a new job and you don’t know what to ask for.
You don’t need a coach. You don’t need a course. You need the words.
Who this is not for
Senior executives negotiating equity packages. Sales reps with commission structures. Professional negotiators. Anyone with a meaningful BATNA in writing. You already know what you’re doing or you have a lawyer.
Also: anyone who needs to be told they’re worth it. We don’t do that here. The number is in the data.
About the price
$29 because:
- It’s the price of a meal at a chain restaurant.
- A 1% raise on an $80,000 base pays for the script 27 times over in year one. Even at a 0.1% outcome, the ROI is 2.75×.
- We’re not selling a course or a coaching program. The work was in writing the words and showing the math. The marginal cost is zero. The marginal price reflects that.
If $29 is the difference between buying it and not, tip what you can on the support page and email us — we’ll send the PDF.
What it won’t do
- Make you confident. Reading words out loud will make you fluent. Confidence is a separate problem.
- Negotiate executive equity. Get a lawyer.
- Help you decide between two job offers. Different problem; we may build a tool for it.
- Tell you what you’re “worth.” Worth is the wrong frame. Market price is a real number.
- Replace your network. The best leverage is the next job, and the next job comes from the network.
Receipts on the receipts
Sources used inside the script:
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — quarterly wage data by occupational code and metro area.
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification — for finding your occupation code.
- BLS JOLTS quits rate — labor market tightness signal that informs walk-away timing.
What does the research say about salary negotiation?
Bring data, not a feeling. Every number below is sourced — follow the links.
- BLS percentile data is your anchor. For software developers (May 2024): median $133,080, lowest 10% under $79,850, highest 10% over $211,450 — BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024 data (archived copy). That is a gap of more than $78,000 inside one occupation. Industry moves the number too: software publishers paid a $149,990 median vs. $129,890 in computer systems design — same occupation, different room.
- Not negotiating is the most expensive habit in your career. Babcock & Laschever's Women Don't Ask (review) cites a study estimating that a woman who routinely negotiates her salary earns over $1 million more by retirement than one who accepts every offer as-is. The book's publisher summary adds that neglecting to negotiate a first salary may sacrifice over half a million dollars by the end of a career, and that men are four times more likely to ask for higher pay than women with the same qualifications. Babcock told NPR she tells her graduate students that not negotiating their first job leaves $1 million to $1.5 million on the table in lost lifetime earnings (NPR, 2011).
- Better than silence: a Fidelity Investments study found that 58% of young professionals accepted their current job offer without negotiating — but 87% of those who did negotiate got at least some of what they asked (Fidelity press release), and in a 2019 Robert Half survey, 70% of senior managers said they expect candidates to negotiate salary (Robert Half press release).
Frequently asked questions
How do I use BLS wage data to back up a salary negotiation?
Cite the percentile, not just the median. The BLS publishes wage percentiles for each occupation, not only the median. For software developers in May 2024 the BLS reports a median of $133,080 — with the lowest 10% earning under $79,850 and the highest 10% over $211,450 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024 data). Walk in with 'the top 10% of my occupation earns over $X — I'm asking for $Y' instead of 'I want more.'
What's the difference between the 50th and 90th percentile wage, and how do I use it in negotiation?
The 50th percentile (median) is the floor of the conversation; the 90th is your anchor. For software developers (May 2024 BLS data): median $133,080 vs. over $211,450 at the 90th — a gap of more than $78,000 inside one occupation (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024 data). Industry matters too: software publishers paid a $149,990 median vs. $129,890 in computer systems design. Use the 90th percentile as your documented ceiling and the median as the number you will not go below.
What exact words should I use to counter a lowball job offer?
Anchor to data, then give them room to concede: 'Based on BLS wage data, the top 10% in this role earn over $X. I'm excited about the team — can we get to $Y?' In a 2019 Robert Half survey, 70% of senior managers said they expect candidates to negotiate salary (Robert Half press release), so a data-backed counter is normal, not aggressive. Never accept on the spot — 'Can I take a day to review this?' costs nothing and buys leverage.
How much does not negotiating actually cost over a career?
Babcock & Laschever's Women Don't Ask cites a study estimating that a woman who routinely negotiates her salary earns over $1 million more by retirement than one who accepts every offer as-is (abebooks review). The book's publisher summary adds that neglecting to negotiate a first salary may sacrifice over half a million dollars by the end of a career, and that men are four times more likely to ask for higher pay than women with the same qualifications (Amazon). Babcock told NPR she tells her graduate students that not negotiating their first job leaves between $1 million and $1.5 million on the table in lost lifetime earnings (NPR, 2011).
What are my odds if I actually negotiate?
Better than silence: a Fidelity Investments study found 58% of young professionals accepted their current job offer without negotiating, while 87% of those who did negotiate got at least some of what they asked (Business Wire press release), and 70% of senior managers told Robert Half in 2019 that they expect candidates to negotiate (Robert Half press release). Asking is the norm employers expect; not asking is what most candidates do.