| She asked for $320K and got it... here's how you can do it too | | THE | | $320K | | STRATEGY | Resilient Leaders X
Jacqueline V. Twillie, MBA |
| She asked for $320K and got it. No performance review on the calendar. No drama. A planned conversation, set at the right moment in the business cycle, with receipts. I created the L.A.T.T.E. Framework in my bestselling book, Don't Leave Money on the Table: Negotiation Strategies. It's simple to remember and precise in practice. Look, Anticipate, Think, Talk, Evaluate. This is how we used it to move a C-suite leader from $200K to $320K, focusing on what matters: the work and the value. |
| | Look: Establish the baseline that leadership respects | We started with facts. She owned outcomes for growth and operational efficiency. Her compensation was $200K, plus bonus and equity. The record showed consistent outperformance, measurable savings from smarter operations, and several prevented issues that would have cost real dollars and time. We also made a clear list of what she wanted beyond salary, and we cleaned up any soft spots in her story so nothing could be used as a distraction. This gave us a confident starting point and a clean lane to run. | | WHAT YOU CAN DO: | | Document your wins as they happen. Build a running list of revenue you've generated, costs you've saved, problems you've prevented, and processes you've improved. Get clear on what you want, not just in salary but in the full package. Identify any gaps in your track record and fill them before you negotiate. |
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| | Anticipate: Map resistance to business meaning | Every company has a story it tells about budgets, equity across roles, leadership optics, and timing. We lined up each likely pushback and tied it to the real business need behind it. Since this wasn't linked to an annual review, we scheduled the conversation as the new fiscal plan was being set. That choice matters. It places the ask inside the decision window. Her responses were built to acknowledge concerns, then return to impact: revenue protected, money saved, goals exceeded. | | WHAT YOU CAN DO: | | Learn your company's budget cycle and time your ask when decisions are being made, not after they're locked. Write down every objection you expect to hear and prepare a response that ties back to business value. Study how your leadership talks about money, priorities, and success, then use that same language. |
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| | Think: Convert wins into a business case | We built a personal achievement portfolio. Not a brag sheet. A financial brief. We translated outcomes into the math her company already uses: revenue gains, cost savings, risk avoided, cycle time improvements, quality lift, team leverage. The headline proof was the combined impact of revenue gained and costs saved, followed by risk avoided. We aligned the target with the market for her scope and company size. We cross checked with credible sources, including Levels.fyi and Blind. The package at $320K fit the responsibilities and the results. Compensation is a portfolio, so we prepared one. Base, bonus target, equity refresh, metric alignment, scope clarity, resources for the team, executive sponsorship, flexibility. The mix supported her ability to deliver, not just her take home pay. Before she walked into the room, she had a two page value brief, a table of metrics that spoke the company's language, a stakeholder map aligned to L.A.T.T.E., and a budget calendar note that explained why the timing made sense. We rehearsed every scenario until her delivery felt natural. | | WHAT YOU CAN DO: | | Turn your accomplishments into numbers your company already tracks. Research market rates for your role using Levels.fyi, Blind, Glassdoor, and industry reports. Build a one to two page brief that shows your impact in dollars and outcomes. Think beyond base salary and map out the full compensation package you want. Practice your delivery out loud until it sounds like a natural conversation. |
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| | Talk: Show up as a leader who knows the room | Authority with approachability is a skill. We chose the seat, the first point of eye contact, the breathing pattern for a steady voice. She opened with business context and timing, then stated the number in four clear lines. The tone was measured and collaborative, with firm boundaries. We drilled pacing. When to pause, when to invite a response, when to hold silence. We practiced what to do if interrupted, how to park side topics, and how to steer back to outcomes. We also prepared her to read the room, to notice shifts in tone or posture, and to stay grounded if tension surfaced. She led the conversation, and that's what leaders do. | | WHAT YOU CAN DO: | | Choose when and where you have the conversation. Control what you can control: your posture, your tone, your pacing. State your number clearly and early. Pause after you make your ask and let them respond. If the conversation drifts, bring it back to your results and the business case. Watch for body language and tone shifts. Stay calm, stay grounded, stay in the room. |
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| | Evaluate: Lock the win and build the next play | After the meeting, we debriefed with a customized L.A.T.T.E. checklist. We marked signals that showed momentum and any red flags to watch. She drove the written follow up so details didn't slip. Then we turned the prep into a living negotiation playbook, a system for ongoing documentation of wins, the same metrics, the same language, ready for the next move. The number matters. The habit matters more. | | WHAT YOU CAN DO: | | After the conversation, write down what was said, what was promised, and what needs follow up. Send a written summary to confirm the details. Keep tracking your wins in the same format so you're ready for the next conversation. Make this a system, not a one time event. |
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| Don't wait for a review to decide your value. Set your aim, study how your company measures success, and time your conversation when decisions are being made. Bring a portfolio that speaks in numbers the business already trusts. Practice the delivery until it feels like you on your best day. My philosophy is clear. Negotiation is a conversation, not a battle. Prepare the facts and drive the conversation. Set the tone by anchoring in what's true. Your portfolio is your playbook, and without it, you're negotiating blind. It's not luck, it's structured strategy, and when you treat it that way you're leading. |
| | P.S. You can DIY build your strategy with this email and my book. P.P.S. Have a quick question? Just reply to this message. |
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