How do I prepare for a difficult conversation at work?

Decide the one outcome you want, rehearse your opening line, and practice staying calm when the other person gets defensive. A roleplay lets you try that before it counts.

How do I ask for a raise without sounding entitled?

Lead with specific results, tie them to a market number, and ask a clear question. The salary negotiation scenario scores you on evidence, tone, and whether you hold your position under pushback.

How do I give negative feedback to someone kindly?

Describe the specific behaviour, its impact, and what you need instead, then stop talking and listen. The feedback scenario rewards clarity without harshness and checking for understanding.

What if the other person gets angry during the conversation?

Stay on the issue, lower your pace, and acknowledge the emotion without taking the bait. Higher difficulty levels in these scenarios make the persona more defensive so you can practice exactly that.

Can practicing a conversation with an AI really help?

Rehearsal reduces the freeze response. Saying the hard sentence three times to a realistic counterpart makes it far easier to say once to a real person.

Hard conversations up to 12 turns

Salary negotiation

You have an offer. The recruiter has some room but will not volunteer it. Negotiate base, and know when to ask about other levers.

Start practicing

No account needed · First session free today · Instant scored feedback

1 practice runs · average score 7.0/10

Who will I be talking to?

Alex Chen. The AI plays a realistic counterpart who stays in character for the whole conversation, asks one question at a time, and pushes back when your answers are vague. It never coaches you mid-conversation; feedback comes at the end.

What is the goal of this scenario?

Express enthusiasm, anchor with a researched counter (around $108–112k), justify it with market data and your value, stay collaborative, and explore signing bonus or review timeline if base stalls.

What will the AI ask me?

It opens with: Great news, the team loved meeting you and we'd like to make an offer. It's $95,000 base, standard benefits, and a start date in three weeks. How does that sound? From there it follows your answers with realistic follow-ups, so no two runs are the same. The conversation lasts up to 12 of your turns, or you can end it early to get scored.

How is my score calculated?

You get a score out of 10 for each of these criteria, and an overall score weighted as shown. Each criterion comes with a one-line note on what you did and what to change.

Anchoring & justification 30%

Counters with a specific number backed by market data or demonstrated value.
Collaborative tone 20%

Stays warm and enthusiastic; frames the ask as a shared problem to solve.
Using other levers 20%

Explores bonus, review timeline, PTO, or start date when base plateaus.
Handling pushback 20%

Responds to "top of the band" calmly with a question or a trade instead of folding.
Closing 10%

Confirms the final package clearly and asks for it in writing.

How hard is it?

Difficulty 3 of 5 (realistic). Expect the kind of pushback a real professional would give. After your first run you can retry at a harder level.

Do I need an account?

No. You can run one free session a day without signing up and see your overall score. A free account unlocks full coaching notes, five scored sessions a month, history, and shareable results.