Negotiation practice, out loud, against someone who pushes back
Where most people lose money is not in the argument, it is in the first number and the silence after it. Practise anchoring, trading instead of conceding, and being comfortable with a pause.
Built for individuals and commercial teams. Every call is spoken in real time — not a chat transcript — and ends with a scored debrief you can replay.
What you are scored on
These are the four axes the debrief grades, written out in full rather than summarised. Knowing them before the call is not cheating — it is the difference between practice and a test.
Position and anchor
Did they establish a defensible position with reasoning, and either anchor first or handle the other side's anchor without accepting its frame?
Trading, not conceding
Was every concession exchanged for something? A unilateral give teaches the other side that waiting is profitable.
Composure under silence
Did they hold a pause, resist negotiating against themselves, and avoid filling quiet with a worse offer? This is where most of the money is lost.
Result
What was actually agreed, measured against the position they walked in with?
How the call can end
The counterpart is not scripted to agree. Each of these is a real outcome the scenario can reach, ordered best to worst.
Improved on the opening
winThey moved the other side and gave up less than they got.
Held their position
partialNo ground gained, none lost.
Conceded, traded badly
partialAgreement reached at a cost that did not buy anything back.
Negotiated against themselves
lossImproved the other side's offer without being asked. Almost always happens in a silence.
The scenarios
The offer call
Veteran · 12 minThey've made an offer below your number and asked what you think. Everything you lose here, you lose in the next ninety seconds.
You are: A candidate who has just been made an offer after four rounds. Your goal: Improve the offer without damaging the relationship — and without negotiating against yourself.
Teaches: Anchoring, holding a silence, and trading across levers instead of pushing one.
The renewal they want 25% off
Veteran · 15 minProcurement has your renewal and a competitor's quote. They opened with 25% off and went quiet.
You are: An account executive renewing a three-year analytics contract worth 180,000 a year. Your goal: Understand what she actually needs, improve the deal without gutting margin, and close — without negotiating against yourself in the silence.
Teaches: Finding the real constraint in a renewal and trading across term length, not just price.
Asking for the raise
Veteran · 12 minNo competing offer, no invitation, and a manager who will happily agree to revisit this later. Getting a yes is not the hard part — getting a date is.
You are: An engineer three years into the role, asking your director for a raise. Your goal: Leave with a specific number attached to a specific date — or a written set of conditions that gets you there.
Teaches: Arguing from contribution rather than need, and converting a warm yes into a dated commitment.
Other things to practise
Sales discovery
Qualify without interrogating.
Objection handling
Price, timing, competitor, status quo.
Product demos
Demo to the problem, not the feature list.
Customer success
Renewals, QBRs and expansion.
Support de-escalation
Take the heat out before solving it.
Manager feedback
The conversation managers avoid for months.
Leadership
Set direction and hold the room.
Take a negotiation call
Salary, contract and scope. A real voice on the other end, a counterpart who does not simply agree, and a scored debrief against the four axes above. The first call is free.