A PhD negotiates Your Contracts

A simple negotiation playbook

October 12, 2025

You might be leaving thousands of dollars on the table every year. I’ve always found negotiating bills and contracts to be a huge headache, wondering if I’m getting a fair deal. That’s why I was so impressed when I stumbled upon a post from a savvy professional who built an entire AI framework to tackle this exact problem!

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The mind behind it created a brilliant 7-step prompt chain that turns your AI into a personal negotiation consultant. It guides you from initial analysis all the way to a finalized strategy, making you feel incredibly prepared for any discussion. This is so much more than just asking an AI to write a polite email.

Here’s what I think makes this approach so powerful:

It’s a Full Strategy: The process is comprehensive. It starts by analyzing the current situation, researches industry standards, drafts proposals, and even anticipates counterarguments. It’s a complete battle plan.

Highly Customizable: The author designed it with simple placeholders. You just fill in your contract type, desired outcome, and constraints, and the AI tailors the entire strategy to your specific needs, whether it’s for a freelance gig or your car insurance.

Simulates the Conversation: My favorite part is the role-playing step. The AI simulates the negotiation dialogue, letting you practice your arguments and refine your pitch before you even speak to the other party. Awesome!

Your AI Negotiation Prompt Chain

The creator recommends running these steps one by one for the best results. First, define your variables at the top:

[CONTRACT TYPE]={Description of the contract or bill, e.g., “freelance work agreement” or “utility bill”}
[KEY POINTS]={List of key issues or clauses to address, e.g., “price, deadlines, deliverables”}
[DESIRED OUTCOME]={Specific outcome you aim to achieve, e.g., “20% discount” or “payment on delivery”}
[CONSTRAINTS]={Known limitations, e.g., “cannot exceed $5,000 budget” or “must include a confidentiality clause”}

Then, work through the prompts:

Step 1: Analyze the Current Situation

Review the {CONTRACT_TYPE}. Summarize its current terms and conditions, focusing on {KEY_POINTS}. Identify specific issues, opportunities, or ambiguities related to {DESIRED_OUTCOME} and {CONSTRAINTS}. Provide a concise summary with a list of questions or points needing clarification.

Step 2: Research Comparable Agreements

Research similar {CONTRACT_TYPE} scenarios. Compare terms and conditions to industry standards or past negotiations. Highlight areas where favorable changes are achievable, citing examples or benchmarks.

Step 3: Draft Initial Proposals

Based on your analysis and research, draft three alternative proposals that align with {DESIRED_OUTCOME} and respect {CONSTRAINTS}. For each proposal, include:
1. Key changes suggested
2. Rationale for these changes
3. Anticipated mutual benefits

Step 4: Anticipate and Address Objections

Identify potential objections from the other party for each proposal. Develop concise counterarguments or compromises that maintain alignment with {DESIRED_OUTCOME}. Provide supporting evidence, examples, or precedents to strengthen your position.

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Step 5: Simulate the Negotiation

Conduct a role-play exercise to simulate the negotiation process. Use a dialogue format to practice presenting your proposals, handling objections, and steering the conversation toward a favorable resolution. Refine language for clarity and persuasion.

Step 6: Finalize the Strategy

Combine the strongest elements of your proposals and counterarguments into a clear, professional document. Include:
1. A summary of proposed changes
2. Key supporting arguments
3. Suggested next steps for the other party

Step 7: Review and Refine

Review the final strategy document to ensure coherence, professionalism, and alignment with {DESIRED_OUTCOME}. Double-check that all {KEY_POINTS} are addressed and {CONSTRAINTS} are respected. Suggest final improvements, if necessary.

This is a fantastic way to level the playing field. The person who shared it also offers tips on how to use it effectively. Check out the full post to get all the details!

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