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Vera
Difficult Conversations

Say the number out loud before you have to.

Practice asking, then practice the silence that comes after.

The number is easy to write down and hard to say without flinching.

What Vera actually is

A phone call with someone who is not there. You say the thing out loud, they answer the way a real person would, and you get to do it again — as many times as it takes, with nobody listening.

1She calls youA real phone call, about ten seconds after you tap. Lock screen, headphones, car — wherever you take calls.
2She plays the other personNot a coach reading tips. Salary Negotiation Practice, with someone on the other end who answers back.
3She pushes when you are vagueFollow-up questions, interruptions when you ramble, and a straight read at the end on what landed.
Practice the Ask

15 minutes free · no card needed

Practice the Ask

15 minutes free · no card needed

“What if I am bad at it?”Everyone is, on the first one. That is the entire reason it happens here and not there.
“What if I do not know what to say?”She asks first and follows up on whatever you answer. You never start from a blank page.
“What if it is awkward?”It is, for about twenty seconds. Then it is a conversation, and nobody heard the twenty seconds.

Not practising doesn’t save you anything.

The ticket, the evening, the weeks of applying — all of it is spent before anyone says a word. The practice is the only cheap part, and the only part that changes how the rest goes.

Practice the Ask

15 minutes free · no card needed

What she'll actually ask

She asks these the way a real person would, then follows up on whatever you say.

  1. What number are you asking for, and why that number?
  2. There is no budget this cycle. What do you say?
  3. I would need to see more from you first. Response?
  4. What if I offer half?
  5. What is your walk-away position?
More about this one

Salary conversations fail in the two seconds after you name a figure. People soften it, justify it unprompted, or negotiate against themselves before the other side has said anything. That happens because almost nobody has said the number out loud before the moment they need to. Vera plays the manager, lets the silence sit, and pushes back the way a real one would.

What she listens for

Self-negotiationLowering your own number before the other person responds to it.
Silence toleranceThe pause after your number is a tactic. Filling it costs you.
Justification creepPiling on reasons signals you expect a no.
  • salary negotiation
  • compensation conversation
  • counteroffer
  • market rate
  • walk-away number
  • anchoring
  • performance review
  • total compensation
“I said my number and immediately added 'but I am flexible.' Vera pointed it out. I did not do it in the real conversation.”
David K., Marketing Director

Related practice

Resignation Conversation PracticePractice the two sentences, the counteroffer, and the guilt trip.Difficult Workplace Conversation PracticeFeedback to a peer, pushback to your boss, or the thing you have avoided for months.Internal Promotion Interview PrepPractice making the case for the next level to people who remember your last year.Final Round & Executive Interview PrepPractice the exec round where the questions get shorter and harder.

Common questions

What if my manager says there is no budget?

Practice both branches — the timeline question and the non-salary alternatives. Having a prepared second move is most of the value.

Should I give a range or a number?

Views differ and it depends on your leverage. Vera helps you deliver whichever you have chosen without wobbling.

How many times should I practice?

Until you can say the number without adding a qualifier after it. Usually three or four attempts.

What if I am bad at it?

Everyone is, on the first one. That is the entire reason it happens here and not there.

What if I do not know what to say?

She asks the first question and follows up on whatever you answer. You never start from a blank page.

What if it is awkward?

It is, for about twenty seconds. Then it is a conversation, and nobody heard the twenty seconds.

Ready to try it?

Your first 15 minutes are free. No card required.

Practice the Ask