Practice English for negotiations and salary talks

Negotiating in English is nerve-racking: asking for a higher salary, pushing back on a price, agreeing terms — all while staying polite, clear, and firm. The words matter, and so does sounding calm while you say them.

Airi plays the other side — a manager, a client, a supplier — so you can rehearse the whole exchange. Practice stating what you want, giving reasons, handling "no", and proposing a middle ground, using the phrases negotiation relies on. By the real conversation, you've already said the hard part out loud.

A quick example with Airi

I'm your manager. So, you wanted to discuss your salary?

Yes. I would like to ask for a raise because I take more responsibility this year.

Small fix: "I've taken on more responsibility this year." I hear you, but budgets are tight.

I understand. Can we discuss a review in three months?

Now that's a smart move — proposing a middle ground. Well done.

Try a conversation like this, free600 free credits, about 8 minutes of speaking. No card.

The five moments of a negotiation in English

Harvard Business School Online describes the negotiation process in four steps: preparation, bargaining, closing and reflection. Preparation and reflection you do on your own. The talking happens in the middle two, and this page splits that spoken part into five moments. Have one line ready for each.

Moment	Your job	A line to have ready
Opening	Set the tone and the agenda	Thanks for making the time. I'd like to talk about pricing and delivery today.
Exploring	Find out what they need	Before we get to numbers, what matters most to you here?
Proposing	Give a figure and a reason	Given the size of the order, we were thinking of 40 per unit.
Trading	Give only when you get	If you can deliver by March, we could sign a twelve-month contract.
Closing	Say the deal back	So that's 500 units at 42 each, delivered by March. Could you send that over in writing?

Learn the trading pattern first: if you ..., we could ... Whatever you give is tied to something you get, and "could" signals that the offer depends on their side of the trade.

Negotiation phrases for saying no, countering and buying time

A flat "no" leaves the other side nothing to answer. These lines refuse, counter or buy time and still give them a next move.

When you need to	Say
Turn down an offer	I'm afraid that's lower than we can accept.
Ask for a better price	Is there any flexibility on the price?
Make a counteroffer	Would you consider 40 per unit?
Check what an offer includes	Just so I'm clear, does that price include installation?
Ask for something in return	We could agree to that if delivery is included.
Suggest a middle point	Why don't we split the difference and say 42?
Buy time	I'd like to think it over. Can I get back to you by Thursday?
State your limit	That's as far as we can go on price.

Salary negotiation in English: what they say, what you say

The employer's side of a pay conversation tends to use the same few lines, so you can prepare your replies in advance. Swap in your own figures.

They say	You say
What are your salary expectations?	From what I've seen for similar roles, I'm looking for something between 60,000 and 65,000.
We'd like to offer you 55,000.	Thank you. I'm excited about the role. Given my experience, I was hoping for something closer to 62,000.
We can go up to 60,000.	That works for me. Could you send me the updated offer in writing?
That's the top of our range.	I understand. Is there any flexibility on the rest of the package, such as a signing bonus or extra vacation days?
There's no room for a raise this year.	I understand. What would I need to achieve for us to revisit this in six months?

Notice the order when you push back: first acknowledge what they said ("Thank you", "I understand"), then make your request.

Negotiation vocabulary the other side will use

Word	Meaning	In a sentence
Counteroffer	An offer made in reply to one you can't accept	They came back with a counteroffer of 58,000.
Concession	Something you give up to reach agreement	We've already made a concession on delivery.
Bottom line	Your final limit: the lowest price a seller will accept, or the most a buyer will pay	So what's your bottom line?
Ballpark figure	An approximate number, not an exact one	Can you give me a ballpark figure?
Deal breaker	An issue that makes the whole deal fail	A two-year contract would be a deal breaker for us.
Walk away	Leave the talks without a deal	At that price, we'd have to walk away.

Mistakes English learners make when negotiating

Instead of	Say	Why
I want a discount.	I was hoping you could do a little better on the price.	"I want" sounds like a demand. The past form "I was hoping" softens it into a polite request.
Your price is too expensive.	The price is higher than we budgeted for.	A product is expensive; a price is high. Giving your budget as the reason also sounds less like a complaint.
Can you give discount 10 percent?	Could you give us a 10 percent discount?	"Discount" needs "a", and the percentage comes before it.
If you will include shipping, we will sign today.	If you include shipping, we'll sign today.	For a real condition, use the present simple after "if". "Will" belongs in the other half of the sentence.
Can you rise my salary?	I'd like to talk about a raise.	"Rise" takes no object: salaries rise, but managers raise them. The noun is "a raise" in American English, "a pay rise" in British English.

An eight-minute negotiation rehearsal with Airi

The free credits cover about eight minutes of speaking, enough for one short role-play. Pick the negotiation you face next and use your real numbers.

Set the scene: "You are a supplier. I need a better price on 500 units. Say no to my first two requests." Or, for pay: "Be a recruiter offering me 55,000 for a project manager job. Turn down my first counteroffer."
Ask what matters most to her side, then propose a figure with one reason.
When she refuses, trade instead of repeating yourself: "If we paid in advance, could you move on the price?"
Each time a small fix appears, say the corrected line aloud before your next move.
Close it yourself: "So, to confirm, we've agreed on ..." Then ask for it in writing.

How to get the most from it

State it clearly

Say what you want and why, without apologising for asking. Rehearse it until it's steady.

Handle 'no' calmly

Practice responding to rejection with a counter-proposal, not silence.

Offer a middle ground

Knowing how to propose a compromise in English keeps deals alive. Drill the phrases.

Start speaking today

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Frequently asked questions

Can Airi role-play my manager or client?

Yes. Ask her to be your boss, a client, or a supplier, and she'll push back so you can practice handling it. You can also ask her to be tougher: "Say no to my first two requests."

Can I rehearse a salary negotiation?

Yes. Give her the role and the number, for example "Be a recruiter offering me 55,000 for a project manager job", then practice thanking her, making a counteroffer and asking about the rest of the package.

How do I politely refuse an offer in English?

Soften the refusal, give a short reason, and leave room for a better offer: "I'm afraid that's lower than I can accept, given my experience. Is there any flexibility?" The closing question invites the other side to move instead of ending the discussion.

What should I say when I'm asked about my salary expectations?

One common approach is to give a range based on what similar roles pay: "From what I've seen for similar roles, I'm looking for something between 60,000 and 65,000." Set the bottom of the range at a figure you would be glad to accept. If you would rather hear their number first, ask: "Could you tell me the range you have in mind for this role?"

How do I ask for a discount politely in English?

Ask a question and give the seller a reason to say yes: "Is there any flexibility on the price if we order 500 units?" or "Could you give us a 10 percent discount if we pay in advance?"

Is it free?

It is free to start. You get 600 free credits when you sign up with Google, about eight minutes of speaking, with no credit card. After that there are one-off credit packs at USD 5, 10 or 20, with no subscription.

Last updated: 2026-10-03