Practice room
Practice asking for a raise
Make the case to a manager who agrees with you and still says not this cycle. Scored on your ask, your evidence, and what you walked away with.
Answer one real Practice asking for a raise question now
A question a Practice asking for a raise panel actually asks, answered out loud, scored on what you said and how you said it. Under two minutes, and nothing to sign up for.
“You said you wanted to talk about comp. Go ahead.”
We never store the audio. Your answer is deleted within 24 hours unless you save the result.
How this conversation really runs
Asking for a raise fails differently from negotiating an offer. There is no competing bid on the table, the person opposite usually likes you, and the refusal is rarely a no: it is 'not this cycle', which feels like a soft landing and is actually the end of the conversation. The hard skill is not asking. It is what you do in the ninety seconds after the deferral.
Who you are talking to: Your manager, sympathetic, genuinely budget-constrained, and used to deferring this.
What you will be asked
Every one of these is a moment people tell us they were not ready for.
“You said you wanted to talk about comp. Go ahead.”
Why it is hard: A blank opening. Most people spend it on preamble and apology and arrive at the number already weakened.
A strong answer: Gets to the ask inside the first thirty seconds, with one quantified result attached.
“What are we talking about, roughly?”
Why it is hard: 'Roughly' invites a vague answer, and a vague ask is one nobody has to act on.
A strong answer: Names a specific figure or band position, anchored to market or internal band data.
“I agree with everything you've said. The problem is the budget is set until April.”
Why it is hard: The most common outcome, and the one people accept. Agreement without money is not a win.
A strong answer: Accepts the constraint without accepting the deferral, and converts it into something dated and checkable.
“You've worked incredibly hard this year. Everyone's noticed.”
Why it is hard: Praise as a substitute for money. Accepting it graciously usually closes the topic.
A strong answer: Thanks them and returns to the number, reframing effort as delivered impact.
“Is this because you're looking?”
Why it is hard: A direct question with a trap on both sides: denying it removes leverage, overplaying it damages trust.
A strong answer: Is honest, keeps it about wanting to stay on fair terms, and avoids an ultimatum they cannot back.
“Let me take it to my skip and see where we get to.”
Why it is hard: The conversation's real ending. Without a commitment attached, nothing happens.
A strong answer: Secures a date, a number to be confirmed against, and a written follow-up.
What you get scored on
Impact-based case
What the ask is built on.
- · Quantified results
- · Ownership named
- · Not tenure, not effort, not need
A specific ask
Whether a real number was said out loud.
- · A figure or band position
- · Backed by data
- · Not 'whatever you think is fair'
Handling the deferral
What happened after 'not this cycle'.
- · Does not accept a vague delay
- · Gets a date
- · Gets a number to be measured against
Leverage and framing
How outside interest and market data were used.
- · Credible, not threatening
- · Collaborative framing
- · Relationship intact
Composure
Steadiness through praise, stalls and soft nos.
- · Not apologetic
- · Not defensive
- · Does not fold to fill silence
Closing
Whether anything concrete was agreed.
- · A committed next step
- · A review date
- · Written confirmation
Same engine as the interview practice
Round Zero started with interviews because that is where the deadline is. It turned out the hard part is the same everywhere: saying a thing you have never said out loud, to someone who can interrupt. Practicing a review, a presentation or an interview all run on the one engine, and they all draw on the same weekly allowance.