AI prompt to rehearse a raise conversation
AI prompt to rehearse what to say when you ask for a raise, with manager responses. Copy, add your role and target, and practice before the meeting.
Act as my manager in a 1:1. I am asking for a raise and I want to practice.
My details:
- Role: [ROLE]
- What I want: [RAISE AMOUNT OR NEW SALARY]
- Why I deserve it: [BRIEF CASE IN YOUR OWN WORDS]
- My relationship with this manager: [GOOD / NEUTRAL / TENSE AND WHY]
- How direct I want to be: [POLITE / DIRECT / VERY DIRECT]
Step 1: Give me 3 distinct ways to open the conversation.
Step 2: Play the manager. After each opening I pick, respond realistically (not cartoonishly hostile or friendly).
Step 3: For the hardest response you gave, write my best reply in 2-3 sentences.
Step 4: End with a closing line that keeps the relationship intact whether they say yes, no, or "not now."
Step 5: List 3 mistakes people make in raise conversations that I should avoid.
Stay practical. Write dialogue I could actually say out loud.
How to use
- Pick one opening from Step 1 and read it aloud before you paste the manager's reply back for Step 3.
- Set [HOW DIRECT] to match your workplace. You can always dial it back in the meeting.
- After the run, ask "make the closing line shorter" if it feels too formal.
Tips
- Run it once with a supportive manager and once with a skeptical one by changing [RELATIONSHIP].
- If you freeze in meetings, practice only the opening and closing until those feel natural.
Example output
Opening (direct)
"I would like to talk about my salary. Based on what I have delivered this year, I am asking for [X]."
Manager (realistic)
"I hear you. Budget is tight until Q3. Walk me through what you are basing that number on."
Your reply
"Fair question. Three things: I led [project] which [outcome]..."