01market
Market Anchor
The external compensation range for your role, level, and geography. Without a defensible anchor, every number you propose sounds personal instead of structural.
Prompts- 01What is the verified range for your role at comparable companies?
- 02Which two or three sources support the number you would name?
- 03Where do you sit inside that range today, base and total?
- 04How has the range moved in the last 12 months for your function?
- 05What is the number a recruiter would quote you this week?
Weak"I think I am underpaid based on what I have heard."
Strong"Levels.fyi, two recent recruiter conversations, and a peer at a comparable company put the band at 285K to 340K total. I am at 261K."
Leverage signalYou can name a number, a band, and three sources without hesitation.
02internal
Internal Benchmark
Where you sit relative to peers at your level inside your own company. Internal equity is the lever your manager can actually pull without committee approval.
Prompts- 01Who else holds your title and what scope do they own?
- 02What signals suggest you are below, at, or above the band internally?
- 03Has your level been recalibrated since you joined?
- 04What did the last person promoted into your level land at?
- 05Where does HR draw the line between merit, equity, and market adjustments?
Weak"I assume I am behind because I have been here a while."
Strong"Two peers at my level were leveled up last cycle into the 300K band. I am still at the entry of the previous band, which is a structural equity gap, not a performance issue."
Leverage signalYou can describe the internal band and your position in it precisely.
03evidence
Performance Evidence
Documented business outcomes since your last compensation change. Evidence dated after your last raise is the only evidence that counts in this conversation.
Prompts- 01What changed in your scope or impact since your last comp adjustment?
- 02Which outcomes are tied to a number, a launch, or a named stakeholder?
- 03What problem did you absorb that no one was hired to solve?
- 04Which artifacts would a skip-level recognize without explanation?
- 05What is the one outcome your manager would lead with on your behalf?
Weak"I have been working hard and taking on more."
Strong"Since my last adjustment I absorbed the platform team after the reorg, shipped the migration that saved 1.1M in vendor spend, and now own the partnership review with finance."
Leverage signalEvery claim has a date, a number, and a witness.
04timing
Timing
The cycle, budget posture, and business climate around the conversation. The right ask in the wrong quarter is a no you have to wait a year to revisit.
Prompts- 01Where are you in the comp cycle and when does the budget actually lock?
- 02Is the business expanding, holding, or contracting headcount?
- 03What recent event raised or lowered your leverage this quarter?
- 04Is your manager early, mid, or late in their own planning cycle?
- 05What would make next quarter a stronger or weaker moment than this one?
Weak"I want to ask soon because it has been a while."
Strong"Comp planning locks in six weeks. My manager is finalizing band proposals now, the team just hit the Q3 target, and a peer raise this cycle sets the precedent I need."
Leverage signalYou know the calendar of decisions, not just your own.
05alternatives
Alternatives
The credible options outside this conversation. You do not have to use them. The other side just has to believe they exist.
Prompts- 01What real options do you have outside the company today?
- 02Which conversations are active, and which are dormant but warm?
- 03What would you actually accept if it came in writing this week?
- 04How will you reference alternatives without making it a threat?
- 05What is your true walk-away number and walk-away date?
Weak"I would probably leave if nothing changes but I have not looked."
Strong"I have one offer in hand at 320K total and two final-round conversations. I am not bluffing and I am not negotiating with the offer, but I will be honest about the band the market is showing me."
Leverage signalYour alternatives are real, recent, and you could prove them if asked.
06decision-maker
Decision Maker
The person who actually controls the number, and the person who controls them. Talking comp with someone who cannot move it is rehearsal, not negotiation.
Prompts- 01Who signs off on a comp change at your level?
- 02What does your manager need from their manager to get it approved?
- 03Which finance or HR partner has to bless it before it lands?
- 04What objection will the room raise that your manager has to answer?
- 05What does your manager need from you to make their case easier?
Weak"My manager said they would see what they can do."
Strong"My manager needs the VP and a finance partner. I gave my manager a one-page brief with market data, internal comparables, and the three outcomes from this year so the case writes itself."
Leverage signalYou can name every person in the approval chain and what each one needs.