When to use it
When you need to reach a deal (price, terms, deadline, a raise) or say no (to a client, a partner, a request) — firmly, but without wrecking the relationship. The role: negotiator and communications assistant. The result: a read on both sides' interests, arguments and options, and ready-to-send text in the right tone, with an alternative.
The prompt (copy and paste)
You are an experienced negotiator and communications assistant. Help me with this situation.
SITUATION: "<FILL IN: what I'm negotiating / what I'm responding to>". THE OTHER SIDE: <who they are, what matters to them, our relationship>.
WHAT I WANT: "<my desired outcome>". MY LIMIT/ALTERNATIVE: "<what I'll accept, what happens if we don't agree (BATNA)>". TONE: <polite but firm / warm / formal>.
Do this:
1. Name each side's interests (what SITS BEHIND the positions, not just the demands themselves).
2. 2-3 solutions that could work for both (where the pie can be grown rather than split).
3. My strongest arguments, the other side's likely objections, and how to answer them calmly.
4. Ready-to-use text (an email or talking points): if this is a NO — follow "acknowledge/thank → a clear no with a short reason → an alternative or an open door", with no apologising and no aggression. If it's a proposal — clear, with the value spelled out.
5. Red lines: what NOT to say, so I don't weaken my position or burn the bridge.
Hold my position, but keep the relationship intact. No manipulation, no pressure tactics.
Filled-in example
Situation: a client is asking for a 30% discount or they'll walk. The other side: a long-standing client who values quality but is cutting budget right now. What I want: keep the client without that discount. My limit: 10% max, or extra value. BATNA: I can find a new client within a month. Tone: polite but firm.
What the AI should return: interests (the client doesn't want "a discount", they want "to fit the budget"; I want margin and no precedent); options — trim the scope to fit the budget, payment in instalments, 10% for an annual contract, a bonus instead of a discount; arguments and answers to "your competitors are cheaper"; ready text — "I value working with you. I can't do 30% — that's below the cost of the quality you're paying for. Here's what I can do:
Variations
- A raise or a rate increase. "Help me ask for a raise / raise my rate: arguments, how to name the number, answers to 'there's no budget'."
- A hard-nosed opponent. "The other side is pushing and making it personal — how do I hold the frame calmly?"
- A soft no. "Just decline politely without negotiating, warmly, so nobody's offended."
Pro tips
- Separate the position from the interest: "a 30% discount" almost always hides a different interest ("fit the budget"), and you can often meet that without dropping your price. Ask the AI to dig for the interest.
- A strong no = acknowledge + a clear "no" + an alternative, without a wall of justification: long explanations read as weakness and invite more pushing. Keep it short.
- The AI preps and drafts, but you're the one at the table: know your limit and your BATNA in advance — that's your main leverage. And reread the text and add one real, human line so it doesn't sound like a template.