# Negotiate a consulting offer or a promotion case Salary negotiation practice for consulting covers two real conversations, negotiating a new offer where base pay often follows a fixed class-year scale but a signing bonus and relocation package are genuinely negotiable, and making a promotion case to a staffing or people leader ahead of an up-or-out review cycle. Consulting base pay rarely moves much for a given class year at a large firm. The real negotiation, and the real internal case, tends to live somewhere else. ## The scenario: the base is fixed, the bonus and the case aren't In new-offer mode, a candidate is holding an offer where the base salary sits on a fixed scale for their class year, and the actual negotiation is about a signing bonus or a relocation package, sometimes citing a competing offer to justify pushing on either. In internal-raise mode, a consultant approaching a promotion cycle is making the case to a staffing lead or people manager for advancement, and the conversation tests whether specific project outcomes and staffing feedback get cited clearly, the kind of evidence a promotion committee actually weighs, rather than a general claim about working hard. ## What gets covered New-offer mode has the AI on the other end respond the way a recruiting lead working within a fixed class-year scale actually would, redirecting a base-pay ask toward the bonus or relocation piece that's genuinely flexible. Internal-raise mode has the manager ask for the specific project results and staffing feedback behind a promotion case, since a real promotion committee needs concrete evidence, not a general impression of effort. Both modes also check whether a candidate sticks with a specific number after the other side pushes back the first time, instead of caving right away. ## What actually gets scored here The penalty for an abruptly ended interview applies directly here, since a negotiation that trails off without a clear next step, a bonus number confirmed, a promotion case formally logged for committee review, scores worse than one that closes deliberately, which matters given how much of both conversations depends on a formal process afterward. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I practice negotiating a signing bonus instead of the fixed base? Yes. New-offer mode is built for the real conversation, and the AI on the other side responds the way a recruiting lead working within a fixed scale actually would when a candidate pushes on a bonus or relocation package instead. ### What if my project results don't have a clean, quantified outcome? It still helps to state whatever specifics you have, the scope of the project or the staffing feedback received, since a vague claim scores worse than a concrete one even under generous calibration. ### Is internal-raise mode useful for making a promotion case, not just asking for more pay? Yes. A promotion case works the same way as a raise request, as long as the specific project outcomes and feedback behind it get named clearly. ### Does the ending of the negotiation really factor into the score? Yes. The penalty system deducts for an abruptly ended interview, and a negotiation that trails off without a clear next step or a number confirmed scores worse than one that closes on purpose. ### Does citing a competing offer actually help in new-offer mode? It can be part of a realistic negotiation, and the AI on the other side responds to it the way a real recruiting lead would, weighing it against what the fixed scale and bonus budget actually allow. ## Related pages - [Consulting interview questions](/interviews/consulting) - [Salary negotiation practice](/features/salary-negotiation-practice) - [Browse open roles](/jobs) - [Frequently asked questions](/faq) ## Rehearse the comp conversation before it's real Practice negotiating a signing bonus on a consulting offer, or making a promotion case, with an AI that pushes back like a real manager. Start practicing free: https://www.intervieux.ai/register ยท Hire with Intervieux: https://www.intervieux.ai/employers/signup