Salary negotiation email: counter an offer with real numbers
Most people accept the first offer because writing the counteroffer feels awkward. This prompt has your todo.is agent check public salary data for your role and city, then write a short, polite email that asks for more and gives a reason.
The prompt
- I got a job offer for [JOB TITLE] at [COMPANY NAME] in [CITY]: [OFFER DETAILS]. I would like [YOUR TARGET]. Research typical pay for this role and city from public salary sites and job ads, with source links, and tell me if my target is realistic. Then write a short, warm salary negotiation email to [RECRUITER NAME] that thanks them, says I am excited, asks for my target with 2 reasons based on my experience ([YOUR STRONGEST POINTS]), and offers one alternative if salary is fixed (signing bonus, extra holiday or a review in 6 months). Keep it under 200 words. If my Google account is connected, save it as a Gmail draft. Do not send it.
What to change
- [JOB TITLE]: The role you were offered.
- [COMPANY NAME]: The company that made the offer.
- [CITY]: Where the job is, or "remote in Canada" for remote roles.
- [OFFER DETAILS]: Salary, bonus, holiday, start date, e.g. "$78,000 base, 5% bonus, 20 days off".
- [YOUR TARGET]: What you want, e.g. "$88,000 base" or "a $5,000 signing bonus".
- [RECRUITER NAME]: Who sent the offer, e.g. "Priya from HR".
- [YOUR STRONGEST POINTS]: Two or three reasons you are worth more: a skill, a result, a competing offer, years of experience.
Example result
- Is your target realistic?
- • Typical base pay for a Product Analyst in Toronto: about $80,000 to $95,000 (from 3 salary sites and 18 current job ads, links below)
- • The offer of $78,000 sits just under that range
- • Your target of $88,000 is in the middle of the range, so asking for it is reasonable
- Your email
- Subject: Re: Offer for Product Analyst
- Hi Priya,
- Thank you so much for the offer. I really enjoyed meeting the team, and I am excited about the chance to work on the new analytics platform.
- Before I sign, I would like to talk about the base salary. Based on my research for similar roles in Toronto and on what I would bring, I was hoping for $88,000.
- Two reasons I think this fits:
- • I have already built the kind of self-serve dashboards in Looker that the team plans to launch this year
- • I have 4 years of SQL and experiment analysis, slightly more than the role asks for
- If the base salary is fixed, I would be happy to discuss a signing bonus or a salary review after six months instead.
- I am keen to make this work and can talk any time this week.
- Best,
- Marco Ruiz
- Next steps
- • Send it within 1 or 2 days of the offer
- • If they call instead of replying, use the same two reasons
- • Get the final numbers in writing before you accept
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill the [brackets] with your offer and what you want.
- Paste it into todo.is or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Your agent checks salary data with sources, tells you if your number is realistic and writes the email.
- Read the draft, ask for changes like "softer tone", and send it yourself when ready.
Tips
- Ask for a specific number, not a range. If you give a range, employers usually pick the bottom.
- Connect Google so the email lands as a Gmail draft in the right thread. Your agent asks before sending anything, and this prompt tells it not to send.
- If you have a competing offer, mention it in [YOUR STRONGEST POINTS]. Your agent will word it politely.
- Also ask for "a short phone script" if you think the recruiter will call you back.
FAQ
- Is it OK to negotiate a job offer by email? Yes. Email gives you time to choose your words and gives the recruiter something clear to pass on to the hiring manager. Many recruiters prefer it.
- How much more should I ask for? A common approach is 5 to 15% above the offer, as long as your number is backed by salary data for your role and city. The prompt checks that for you.
- Can a company take back an offer if I negotiate? It is rare when the request is polite and reasonable, but it can happen. A warm tone and a fallback option, like a review in 6 months, lower that risk.
- Where does the salary data come from? Your agent searches public salary sites and current job ads that list pay, and gives you the links so you can check them yourself.
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