Salary Negotiation Practice With AI

Why practice the conversation itself

Most people prepare for a salary talk by researching the number. That part matters, but the conversation is where it goes wrong. People hedge right before the figure, apologize for asking, fill the silence after they say it, or accept the first counteroffer because the pause felt unbearable.

Practicing out loud with an AI counterpart lets you hear yourself say the number, get the pushback you're dreading and try your response again, without anything riding on it.

How a practice negotiation works

Set it up. Say whether this is a raise with your manager or an offer from a new employer, what your role is and what you plan to ask for. The AI plays the other side, with a budget and objections of its own.
Make your case out loud. Give your ask, then handle the pushback as it comes.
Get one clear note. Your coach looks at your words and delivery, especially around the number, and names what's working and the one thing to change.
Redo the hard moment. Jump back to the counteroffer or the silence that rattled you and try it again.

First take

“I was, um, kind of hoping maybe we could talk about, like, a raise…”

After “Say the number”

“I'm asking for 15%, starting next quarter.”

What matters most in a salary talk

Ace Coach reads more than 35 signals across what you say, how you sound and how you look on camera. In a negotiation, a few of them do most of the work.

Saying the number

Whether you said a clear figure or range, or talked around it.

Hedges

“I was kind of hoping” and “maybe” right before your ask.

Pauses

Whether you let the silence sit after your ask or rushed to fill it.

Your case

Whether you led with the results that justify the ask.

Energy and pitch

Whether you sound steady and sure, or flat and apologetic.

Eye contact

Looking at the camera when you say the number, not away from it.

Pushback to practice

Decide your response to each of these before the real conversation, then say it out loud until it comes easily.

“That's above our budget for this role.”

Ask what the range is, then talk about the value you bring before you move on your number.

“What are you making now?”

Steer back to what this role is worth. In a number of US states and cities, employers aren't allowed to ask.

“We don't do raises outside the review cycle.”

Ask what you'd need to show by the next cycle, and agree on it in writing.

“Why do you think you deserve that?”

Lead with two or three results and tie each one to the business.

“Let me see what I can do.”

Thank them and agree on when you'll hear back.

“We need an answer by Friday.”

Thank them, and ask for the time you actually need to decide well.

Interviewing for a new job? See how to answer “What are your salary expectations?” for a structure and example ranges.

What you need

A Mac with Apple silicon running macOS 26 or later, with a camera and a microphone. Plans are $49 a month or $349 a year.

Practice salary negotiation before you ask.