Episodes
How to Negotiate Salary When the Offer Is Below Market
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle the tricky situation of receiving a salary offer that feels below market value. They discuss how to research market rates, frame your counteroffer without sounding greedy, and leverage other benefits when the base salary can't move. Using a recent real-world example of a marketing manager who successfully negotiated a 12% increase after citing industry data, they break down the exact language and timing that made the…
How to Negotiate a Salary Increase After a Promotion
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a fresh angle on salary negotiation: what to do when your promotion comes with a title change but not a matching pay bump. Using the case of a senior analyst who was promoted to manager with only a 3 percent raise, they walk through a specific negotiation script that leverages market data, internal equity, and the timing of your performance review. They discuss how to frame the conversation around the new scope of responsibilities, when to bring up…
How to Counter a Salary Freeze With Non Monetary Leverage
When a company freezes salaries, most candidates assume the base salary is off the table. But a freeze is not necessarily a hard ceiling. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down the anatomy of a salary freeze, explain how to read the real budget constraints behind it, and share a practical playbook for negotiating non-monetary leverage that can close the gap: accelerated review cycles, guaranteed bonuses tied to company performance, flexible work arrangements, and professional development…
When a Salary Offer Is More Than You Expected
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore a scenario most advice ignores: what to do when the initial salary offer comes in higher than you anticipated. Using a concrete example of a marketing manager offered $95,000 when she expected $85,000, they break down the psychology behind generous offers, the risks of over-asking, and a strategy for testing whether there's still room without sounding greedy. They discuss the 'anchor effect' and how recruiters may…
How to Negotiate a Sign-On Bonus as Part of Your Base
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a common but tricky scenario: when the employer offers a sign-on bonus to sweeten the deal instead of increasing your base salary. They unpack why companies prefer sign-ons, the trade-offs for you, and a practical strategy to convert that bonus into recurring pay. Using a realistic example—say, a $20,000 sign-on versus an extra $10,000 in base over two years—they walk through the math of present value, risk, and leverage.…
How to Ask for More When the Offer Is Already Good
Episode 150 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo tackles a counterintuitive problem: what do you do when the offer on the table is genuinely strong? Lucas and Luna walk through a real-world case from a mid-2026 software engineering offer that came in 18 percent above the candidate's target. Instead of celebrating, the candidate panicked—leaving money on the table because they didn't want to seem greedy. The hosts break down the psychological trap of anchoring, the data on how often employers…
Negotiate Salary When the Offer Includes Equity
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a tricky scenario: the job offer that includes equity. How do you value stock options or restricted stock units when the base salary feels light? They break down the key numbers, like the difference between a 10,000-option grant at a possible 50 percent upside and a safer bump in base. They walk through what to ask for when you can't easily price the equity, why a 'double-trigger' acceleration clause matters, and how to…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Offer Has a Non-Compete
Ever opened an offer letter, seen the salary, and then hit a non-compete clause? That piece of paper can quietly shape your negotiation more than you think. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down a real-case scenario: a product manager at a fintech startup in Austin, Texas, who received a $135,000 base salary offer with a 12-month non-compete that would have barred her from working in the entire payments industry. They explain the three levers you actually have—scope, duration, and…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Offer Includes a Signing Bonus
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dig into the signing bonus—why it's often the easiest part of an offer to negotiate, and why leaving it on the table can cost you thousands. They break down a real-world example: a candidate offered a $15,000 signing bonus who successfully negotiated it to $25,000 by asking for the full amount at signing rather than a staggered payout. Lucas explains the psychology behind signing bonuses, how to anchor your ask, and the hidden…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Offer Includes a Relocation Package
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into a fresh angle of salary negotiation: the relocation package. When a job offer includes moving expenses, signing bonus, and temporary housing, the numbers can get messy fast. Lucas breaks down a real-world case from a mid-sized tech firm in Austin, where a candidate negotiated a $15,000 relocation package into a higher base salary by focusing on long-term value. They discuss the tax implications of lump-sum payments, the difference between reimbursement…
How to Negotiate a Pay Raise When Your Job Title Changes
When you get a new title but the same paycheck, it's easy to feel stuck. In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down the art of negotiating a salary adjustment that comes with a promotion — or a lateral move that adds real responsibility. They walk through a real-world case: a marketing coordinator promoted to manager with only a 3 percent raise, and how she used market data and a request for a title review to land a 12 percent bump. You'll learn the difference…
Negotiating Salary When the Offer Includes a Performance Bonus
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a tricky scenario: the employer insists the bonus is ‘at risk’ and non-negotiable. They break down why that framing is often a starting point, not a finish line, and walk through concrete tactics to shift the conversation from bonus percentage to guaranteed base, target bonus multipliers, and payout thresholds. Using a real-world example from a mid-sized tech firm, they show how to quantify the risk, propose alternative…
How Salary Negotiation Works When the Offer Includes Stock Options
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down the art of negotiating a job offer that includes stock options. Using the fictional case of a mid-level product manager at a late-stage startup, they walk through the key numbers: the strike price, the vesting schedule, the difference between incentive stock options and non-qualified stock options, and why the 409A valuation matters more than you think. They explain how to evaluate the potential upside, what questions…
The Salary History Ban Negotiation Playbook
In Episode 142 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into the tricky world of salary negotiations when employers ask for your current or past pay—despite salary history bans in many states. Using the 2024 California ban as a springboard and a real-world example of a marketing manager in Texas, they explore strategies to deflect the question, pivot to market data, and anchor your value without revealing your hand. Learn the 'range deflection' technique, the power of silence…
How to Negotiate a Location Based Pay Adjustment
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the trickiest conversations in modern compensation: location-based pay adjustments. With more companies like Stripe tying salaries to where employees live, knowing how to negotiate is crucial. Lucas breaks down Stripe's transparent location factor system, explains how to frame your request for a location-independent salary, and shares a real-world example of a candidate who successfully negotiated a fixed rate.…
How to Negotiate a Salary When the Employer Says It's Non-Negotiable
When a recruiter tells you an offer is 'firm' or 'best and final,' it's easy to feel stuck. But non-negotiable almost never means non-negotiable on everything. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down why employers use that language, how to probe the real constraints, and three specific moves you can make — from expanding the total compensation picture to asking for a guaranteed first review. They use a real case: a marketing manager at a mid-sized SaaS company who turned a flat $120,000 base…
How to Negotiate Salary in a Commission-Based Role
This episode tackles the unique challenges of negotiating compensation when your role includes a commission structure. Lucas and Luna break down how to evaluate the base-commission split, using real benchmarks like the MedReps survey showing median base for medical device reps at $65k and SaaS reps at $130k OTE. They discuss tactics like negotiating a guarantee period, a draw, or a higher base in exchange for a lower commission rate. The conversation covers commission rates, accelerators…
How to Negotiate Salary With a Side Business
Many professionals run a side business or freelance gig that adds significant income. When a new full-time offer arrives, the conflict between continuing that side work and the employer's policies can derail the negotiation. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how to handle salary negotiation when you have a side hustle. Using the real case of a marketing manager earning $20,000 annually from consulting, they explore whether to disclose the side business, how to value the lost income…
How to Negotiate Salary Without a Competing Offer
Episode 137 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo tackles the most common fear in job negotiation: what to do when you have no other offers. Hosts Lucas and Luna walk through a practical framework for negotiating from a position of apparent weakness, using a real-world example of a marketing manager who secured a 10% base increase and a signing bonus with zero competing bids. They cover how to reframe your leverage, research market data, identify what's actually negotiable, and handle a potential…
How to Negotiate Salary with a Long-Term Incentive Plan
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a scenario many senior candidates face: negotiating an offer that includes a long-term incentive plan (LTIP). Using a concrete example—a $150,000 base salary plus a $50,000 annual LTIP grant with a three-year cliff vest—they break down how to value the equity component, whether to push for more base or more LTIP, and what leverage you have if the LTIP is illiquid. They also discuss the importance of understanding vesting…
How to Use a Competing Offer in Salary Negotiation
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into the art of leveraging a competing job offer during salary talks. Using the example of Sarah, a mid-level product manager who receives a $145,000 offer from a larger tech company while holding a $130,000 offer from a smaller firm, they break down the do's and don'ts of using leverage without burning bridges. Topics include timing the reveal, sharing numbers strategically, making a specific counter-ask, and the critical…
How to Negotiate Salary as an Internal Candidate
Negotiating a raise or promotion when you're already inside the company is a whole different game. In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down why internal candidates often leave money on the table — and how to avoid it. They share specific tactics: using internal pay ranges, leveraging performance reviews, and framing your insider knowledge as reduced risk. With data from Payscale showing internal offers can be 10-20% lower than external ones, they explain how…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Bonus Ties to Individual Metrics
Episode 133 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo dives into a common but tricky scenario: the offer looks good on paper, but the bonus is tied to individual performance metrics that feel vague or subjective. Lucas and Luna break down why this structure creates risk for the employee, how to evaluate whether the metrics are fair, and specific negotiating moves to tighten the language or shift more compensation into base salary. They cover real examples like a sales role with a 'qualitative…
How to Negotiate a Bonus Tied to Company Performance
You land an offer with a 20 percent target bonus, but it's tied to company EBITDA — you can't control revenue or costs. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how to evaluate the risk of an at-risk bonus linked to company-wide metrics. They walk through a real scenario: a listener considering a senior marketing role at a mid-stage SaaS company. The bonus is 20% of base, but only pays out if the company hits EBITDA targets. They discuss how to calculate the expected value, when to ask for a…
How to Negotiate a Discretionary Bonus Into Guaranteed Base
In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle a common but tricky negotiation scenario: an offer with a solid base salary but a discretionary performance bonus. Using a concrete example — a $120,000 base with a 20% target bonus that historically pays out at 60% — they break down the risk of relying on variable pay. Lucas explains how to calculate expected total compensation, then shares three specific strategies to convert bonus dollars into guaranteed base, including negotiating a minimum bonus floor…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Offer Has a Non-Compete Clause
Episode 130 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo tackles a tricky scenario: what to do when a great job offer comes with a restrictive non-compete clause. Lucas and Luna walk through a real-world example involving a mid-level marketing manager at a tech company who received a $135,000 offer from a competitor but was asked to sign a 12-month non-compete covering all major industry players. They break down the specific numbers at stake — including how the non-compete effectively reduced the offer's…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Job Offer Uses a Pay Scale
Episode 129 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo explores a common but tricky scenario: you get a job offer, and the employer points to a rigid pay scale or salary band, claiming they can't go higher. Lucas and Luna dig into a real example from a large healthcare system where a candidate named Jenna was told the offer was 'non-negotiable' because of the range. They break down three specific strategies Jenna used to push past the pay scale, including leveraging a competing offer to trigger a…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Offer Is Verbal Only
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a tricky situation: what to do when a hiring manager gives you a verbal offer without a written letter. They walk through a real-world case of a marketing manager who received a verbal offer of $95,000, but the company dragged their feet on the written paperwork. Lucas breaks down the three-part strategy—express enthusiasm, request a timeline, and set a clear boundary—while Luna chimes in with a clever script for the…
How to Negotiate Salary When You Are Overqualified
Getting a job offer when you're overqualified feels like a mixed blessing: you have the experience, but the company worries you'll leave as soon as something better comes along. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down a specific strategy used by a senior product manager who successfully negotiated a principal-level role at a mid-size SaaS company despite being told her resume was 'too senior.' They walk through the real email she sent, the counteroffer she asked for, and how she reframed…
How to Negotiate Salary in a Down Market
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a tough question: how do you negotiate a raise or a new offer when the job market is slowing down? With layoffs sweeping tech and hiring freezes becoming common, the old playbook of 'ask for 10-20% more' doesn't always fly. Lucas breaks down a specific case from Q2 2026: a mid-career product manager who accepted a 5% pay cut for stability, but negotiated a six-month performance review with a guaranteed floor. They walk…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Offer Comes with a Sign-On Bonus
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a common but tricky scenario: negotiating salary when the offer includes a sign-on bonus. Using a real-world example of a marketing manager who received a $30,000 sign-on bonus but a base salary below market, they break down the trade-offs between lump-sum cash and recurring income. Lucas explains why sign-on bonuses often mask a lower base, and how to calculate the true five-year value of an offer. Luna pushes back on…
How to Negotiate Salary When Your Network Is Your Leverage
In episode 124 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna unpack a surprisingly underused tactic: using your professional network to gather salary data and build leverage before an offer even arrives. They walk through a real case from a listener named Priya, a marketing manager in Austin who used two former colleagues and a peer at a competitor to triangulate a realistic range for her target role. Lucas explains why network-sourced data often beats anonymous salary surveys, and Luna…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Offer Has a Relocation Package
Episode 123 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo dives into a common but tricky scenario: negotiating when the offer includes a relocation package. Lucas and Luna break down the hidden leverage points—like lump-sum vs. direct-billed moves, tax gross-ups, and temporary housing—and walk through a real-world case where a candidate turned a $15,000 relocation offer into $25,000 plus a spousal job-search stipend. They discuss why relocation is often the most negotiable line item in an offer, how to…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Offer Has an Equity Waterfall
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a tricky compensation structure: the equity waterfall. When an offer includes multiple tranches of stock that vest sequentially only after hitting performance milestones, how do you negotiate? They break down a real case from a late-stage fintech startup where a senior engineer was offered $180,000 salary plus 15,000 options with a three-stage waterfall tied to revenue targets. Lucas explains why the waterfall's…
Salary Negotiation When the Hiring Manager Asks for Your Current Pay
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a thorny question: what do you say when a hiring manager asks for your current salary? Instead of generic advice, they drill into a specific case — an engineer in Chicago, current base $95,000, facing a recruiter who demands a number before the interview. Lucas explains the legal landscape in 2026: ten states and a growing number of cities have banned salary history questions, but most employers still ask indirectly. Then…
The Salary Negotiation Letter That Changed Everything
In episode 120 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into the game-changing power of the written negotiation letter. They break down a real case: a marketing manager who boosted her offer by $22,000 using a single, well-crafted page. Learn why a letter beats a phone call, what to include (and what to leave out), and how to make it feel collaborative, not confrontational. Plus, we discuss timing, tone, and the surprising psychology of why hiring managers actually prefer a…
Salary Negotiation When They Use a Compensation Benchmarking Tool
Episode 119 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo dives into a tricky scenario: what happens when the employer runs your desired salary through a third-party compensation benchmarking tool like Radford or Willis Towers Watson and says 'the tool says no.' Lucas and Luna walk through why companies use these tools, where the negotiable slack actually hides, and how to counter without attacking the data. They share a real-world example of a product manager who got a 15% bump by shifting the…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Job Title Changes Mid-Offer
Episode 118 tackles a tricky scenario: you've interviewed for role A, but the offer letter says role B — with a different title and compensation band. Lucas breaks down a recent case from fintech company Stripe where a product manager was offered a 'Senior Associate' title instead of the discussed 'Product Manager II'. He walks through the data: Stripe's internal title hierarchy, the typical 15-20% pay gap between those two levels, and how the candidate used competing offers and specific…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Offer Is Non-Negotiable
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a frustrating situation: when a company tells you the offer is non-negotiable. Is it really a hard no, or is there room to move? Using a real case from a mid-sized SaaS firm, they break down the psychology behind take-it-or-leave-it offers, how to test the boundary without seeming difficult, and what to ask for instead of base salary. They cover the 'soft no' tactic, the role of internal equity bands, and why stock…
Salary Negotiation When You Have an Internal Equity Grant
Internal equity grants are one of the trickiest pieces to negotiate when you're already employed at a company — but most people don't even try. In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down how to approach negotiating an internal equity grant, using the specific example of a senior engineer at a mid-stage SaaS company who received a 3,000-share option grant with a four-year vest and a one-year cliff. They walk through the two key levers: grant size and vesting…
How to Negotiate Salary When You're Underleveled
Episode 115 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo tackles a tricky situation: what happens when the job title and level don't match your experience. Lucas and Luna break down a real case of a senior product manager offered a mid-level role at a Fortune 500 tech company. They walk through three concrete strategies: how to reframe the conversation around responsibilities, not title; how to use market data to justify a higher band; and when to walk away. Luna shares a story of a friend who accepted a…
How to Handle a Lowball Salary Offer Without Burning Bridges
In Episode 114 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the most stressful moments in job hunting: receiving a lowball offer. They break down a real case from a listener named Priya, who got a software engineering offer at a mid-sized tech company for $95,000 — $15,000 below market. Lucas explains the 'anchoring reset' technique: how to acknowledge the offer without accepting it, then present data and a revised number. Luna shares a counterintuitive move — asking for a…
The First Salary Number You Should Never Give
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down why you should never disclose your current or desired salary first in a negotiation. Using a real case from a tech sales professional who lost $15,000 by giving a number early, they explain the anchoring trap, how to deflect the question gracefully, and what to say instead. You'll learn a simple script to flip the question back to the employer without sounding evasive, plus strategies for when the HR form forces a…
Salary Negotiation When You Have a Counteroffer from a Current Employer
This episode tackles a tricky scenario: you're on the verge of accepting a new job but your current employer makes a counteroffer to keep you. Lucas and Luna break down why counteroffers are rarely what they seem, drawing on real data—including a 2023 study by the Society for Human Resource Management that found 70% of employees who accept a counteroffer leave within 12 months. They discuss the psychological tug-of-war, how to evaluate whether a counteroffer addresses the real reasons you…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Offer Includes an Equity Cliff
Episode 111 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo tackles one of the trickiest components in modern compensation packages: the equity cliff. Lucas and Luna break down a real-world case where a senior engineer at a late-stage startup received an offer with a four-year vesting schedule and a one-year cliff — meaning no equity ownership at all if they left within the first twelve months. They walk through the exact negotiation strategy: how to ask for a shorter cliff, accelerated vesting tied to…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Offer Is Delayed
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle a scenario many professionals face but few prepare for: negotiating compensation when the employer drags their feet. They break down a real case from a senior product manager who waited six weeks for a written offer and used the delay as leverage to secure a higher base salary and a guaranteed bonus. The conversation covers the psychology of delayed offers, how to keep the employer engaged without burning bridges, and the…
Salary Negotiation When You Have Multiple Offers
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle the high-class problem of juggling multiple job offers simultaneously. Lucas shares a concrete framework drawn from a real case: a product manager with competing offers from two mid-sized tech firms. They break down how to use each offer as leverage without burning bridges, when to disclose competing offers, and the specific language to use on the phone. Luna pushes back on the common advice to always play offers against…
Salary Negotiation When You Don't Know Their Budget
In episode 108 of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the most common yet tricky scenarios: how to negotiate salary when the employer won't share their budget. Using the 2025 Harvard Business Review study showing that 63% of employers expect candidates to name a number first, they unpack the 'range anchor' strategy—where you give a broad, research-backed range that shifts the burden back to the employer. Lucas walks through a real example from a mid-market SaaS firm in…
The Never Say No Salary Tactic That Actually Works
When a job offer comes in below your number, most advice says to push back or walk away. But what if the smartest move is to say yes — then negotiate later? In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna unpack the 'yes-and' strategy, a counterintuitive approach that turns a weak offer into a stronger long-term position. They walk through a real case: a product manager in Austin who accepted a below-market base salary but negotiated a six-month performance review with a…
How to Negotiate Salary When the Offer Has a Non-Compete Clause in a Remote Role
In this episode of Salary Negotiation with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the unique challenges of negotiating a non-compete clause when the job is fully remote. With remote work, the geographic scope of a non-compete can balloon to 'anywhere in the world,' and the time period can become a bargaining chip. They walk through a real scenario: a product manager in Austin offered a remote role at a Seattle-based tech company, whose non-compete covered all competitors globally for 18 months. Lucas…
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