Negotiate Your Worth

Get good at the negotiation conversations adult life keeps presenting — salary, raise, freelance rate, role scope, contract terms — without combat. By day 30 you have a BATNA, a written ask, a rehearsed opening, and at least one real negotiation either underway or completed.

9 lessons ~7 hoursSelf-pacedProgress saved locally

Who this is for

Adults who consistently under-negotiate. People who have a real upcoming negotiation (review cycle, contract renewal, job offer) in the next 60 days. Freelancers raising rates. Anyone who's been told their salary is ‘below market’ and has done nothing about it.

The sequence

topic
Topic: Negotiation basics
Read first. BATNA, positions vs interests, anchoring, the harm of combat framing.
topic
Topic: High-income skills
Without a high-income skill the negotiation room is small. Honest take on which skills compound.
tool
Skill selection matrix
Score 2-3 candidate skills on durability + AI-resilience + distribution + leverage.
12 min
topic
Topic: Career transitions
Negotiations are stronger when you have a credible BATNA — including the next role.
worksheet
Career moat builder
20 min
topic
Topic: Assertive communication
The negotiation room rewards specific, direct asks. Practise the form.
topic
Topic: Difficult conversations
Most under-negotiators avoid the conversation entirely. This page is the planning protocol.
worksheet
Difficult conversation planner
Use this to plan the actual negotiation conversation.
20 min
tool
Conversation prep tool
Draft the opening, the steel-manned counter-argument, and the close.

7-day quickstart

0/7 ticked

Day 1 — Read the negotiation-basics topic. Note which of BATNA / interests / anchoring / value-creation you currently skip.
Day 2 — Decide which real negotiation you'll prepare for (salary, freelance rate, role change, contract). Write it on the wall.
Day 3 — Research the actual market range for your role / rate. Three sources minimum. Write the high end.
Day 4 — Audit your BATNA. What's your real alternative? If it's weak, what would strengthen it in 60 days?
Day 5 — Run the conversation prep tool. Draft the opening sentence + the steel-manned counter.
Day 6 — Rehearse the opening aloud. Twice. Once calm, once with simulated pushback.
Day 7 — Weekly review: what's clearer; what still feels stuck; what's the date of the actual negotiation.

30-day plan

Week 1

Frame and research

0/3 ticked

Read negotiation-basics + high-income-skills + career-transitions topic hubs.
Identify the specific upcoming negotiation. Write its date.
Research the actual market range from three sources.

Week 2

Strengthen BATNA

0/3 ticked

Run the skill selection matrix tool on 2-3 candidate skills.
Complete the career moat builder worksheet.
Take one concrete action to strengthen your BATNA (apply elsewhere, request introductions, raise a side-rate).

Week 3

Prepare the conversation

0/4 ticked

Read difficult-conversations + assertive-communication topic hubs.
Complete the difficult conversation planner worksheet for your negotiation.
Run the conversation prep tool. Draft and refine the opening + close.
Rehearse the opening aloud at least three times this week.

Week 4

Negotiate

0/3 ticked

Run the negotiation. If scheduled later, run a rehearsal with a trusted person now.
After: write what you asked for vs what was offered vs what landed. Note one thing to do better next time.
Lock the date for the NEXT negotiation (review cycle, contract renewal). Treat negotiation as a skill, not an event.

Completion checklist

0/6 ticked

Negotiation-basics + difficult-conversations + assertive-communication topic hubs read.
Real market range researched from three sources.
BATNA assessed and at least one action taken to strengthen it.
Conversation prep tool used to draft opening + close.
Opening rehearsed aloud at least three times.
Actual negotiation either underway or completed.