How to Handle 'What Are Your Salary Expectations?' (3 Scripts That Work)
The Setup
Most interviewers ask this question before you have enough information to answer it well. They know that. It is not an accident.
The salary expectations question is asked early - usually in the first screening call - for a reason. The recruiter wants to know if they can close you below budget. The hiring manager wants to know if you are in range. HR wants to flag you before the panel ever meets you. You are being sized up before you have had a chance to show your value.
And here is what most candidates at the Director and VP level still do wrong: they answer it like they are applying for a job. They give a number, or they say "I'm flexible," and they hand over their negotiating position before the first real conversation has even started.
There is a better way. Three of them, depending on where you are in the process. Here they are, with the reasoning behind each one.
Why This Question Is a Trap - And Why It Does Not Have to Be
Companies post salary ranges in some US states now because of pay transparency laws. Many do not. Most companies in APAC and Europe still operate with zero transparency. The interviewer almost always knows the budget range. You almost never do - not at the first call stage.
That information asymmetry is the trap. Whoever names a number first sets the anchor. If you name too low, you cap what they offer you. If you name too high before you have earned it in their mind, they screen you out. Either way, you lose.
A study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that first anchors in salary negotiations influence final outcomes by up to 18% - even when both parties know the anchor is arbitrary.
The goal is not to dodge the question forever. That is awkward and it kills momentum. The goal is to delay anchoring until you have enough information to anchor strategically - or to flip the dynamic so the company anchors first.
Below are three scripts. Script 1 is for early-stage screening calls. Script 2 is for when you have done your research and want to anchor confidently. Script 3 is for when you are already deep in the process and have real leverage. Know which situation you are in before you open your mouth.
Script 1: The Graceful Deflection (Early-Stage Screening)
This is for the first recruiter call. You have had one conversation. You have not seen the full scope, the team size, the budget authority, or the equity structure. Naming a number now is guessing. Do not guess.
Use this script to redirect without seeming evasive:
Script 1 - Word for Word
"Before I answer that, I want to make sure we are aligned on the scope of the role - because compensation for a regional VP managing two markets looks different from one managing five. Can you share what budget range you have budgeted for this position? That way we can see quickly whether it makes sense to keep talking."
Why it works: You are not dodging. You are reframing the question as a two-way qualification. You are also subtly demonstrating that you think about scope, which is exactly what a Director or VP candidate should do. Recruiters who push back after this are a signal - a useful one.
If the recruiter says they cannot share the range, say: "Understood. My expectations are market-rate for this scope - I'm confident we'll align once I understand the full picture. What are the next steps?" You stay in. You have not named a number. And you have signaled you are a professional, not a pushover.
There are cases where this deflection will not work - usually at companies with rigid HR screening processes that require a number before advancing. In those cases, give a range, not a number. Ranges are harder to anchor against and give you room to negotiate toward the top later.
Script 2: The Data-Backed Anchor (Mid-Process, Research Done)
You are past the first screen. You have researched the role, the company stage, the equity structure, and what comparable roles pay. Now is when you anchor - and you anchor high, with data.
Anchoring high does not mean pulling a number from thin air. It means citing sources and showing your math. That is the difference between sounding demanding and sounding like a professional who knows their market value.
Script 2 - Word for Word
"I've done my homework on this. Based on Levels.fyi data for [role title] at [company stage] companies and what comparable roles are paying across the market, I'm targeting total comp in the range of $X to $Y - with base salary making up $A to $B of that. I'm flexible on the structure depending on how equity and variable are set up. Is that range workable?"
Why it works: You are citing sources, which removes the conversation from opinion into fact. You are giving a range, which signals confidence without boxing yourself in. You are also turning the question back to them with "Is that workable?" - which is your quick read on whether the conversation is worth continuing.
Candidates who name a specific range rather than a single number are 31% less likely to be screened out at the compensation stage, according to hiring data reviewed by Heidrick & Struggles in their 2024 executive recruiting report.
One critical note on range-setting: your bottom of the range is your anchor floor. Companies will almost always offer at or near the bottom. If your real number is $300K base, your range should start at $290K minimum - not $260K. They will not surprise you with the top end.
Build your range using Levels.fyi, the company's own pay transparency data if available, LinkedIn Salary, and Glassdoor cross-referenced. If those sources disagree significantly, use the higher credible source and note it explicitly. Data confidence signals executive maturity.
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Script 3: The Post-Offer Anchor (When You Have Real Leverage)
You are at the offer stage or near it. They want you. You have been through multiple rounds. Your negotiating position is at its strongest point in the entire process - and most candidates do not use it.
This is where many Directors and VPs leave real money on the table. They get an offer, feel relieved, and accept something close to the first number because they do not want to "rock the boat." The boat does not rock as easily as they think. Offers are rarely rescinded because a candidate negotiated professionally.
Every offer I have ever extended at the VP level had room in it. Every single one. The question was always whether the candidate would find it.
- Chief Revenue Officer, Series D SaaS company (sourced from anonymous executive compensation survey)Script 3 - Word for Word
"Thank you - I'm genuinely interested in making this work. Based on everything I've learned about the scope and what you are asking me to build, and comparing against market data for this level, I was expecting something closer to $X. Is there flexibility there, or can we look at how the equity or variable component might bridge the gap? I want to find a number we both feel good about."
Why it works: You are expressing genuine interest, which reduces the perceived risk of the negotiation. You are citing scope - not just seniority - which is the correct frame for a Director or VP-level negotiation. And you are opening a door to non-cash levers (equity, variable, signing bonus) which often have more flexibility than base salary.
The words "is there flexibility" are your best friends in a negotiation. They are not confrontational. They do not presume. They simply open a door. Over 70% of hiring managers say they expect candidates to negotiate - but fewer than half of candidates actually do at the Director level and above. The ones who do almost always get something more.
One more thing: do not negotiate over email if you can avoid it. Phone or video is better. Tone matters enormously when you are asking for more money. An email can read as cold or transactional. A call lets you signal collaborative intent in real time.
What Most Executives Get Wrong Before They Even Speak
The scripts matter. But they only work if the underlying positioning is solid. Here is what kills compensation conversations before a word is spoken:
- Anchoring to your current salary. Your current salary is irrelevant to what this role pays. It is based on a different company, a different market moment, and a different scope. When they ask "what are you making now?" - which is illegal in some states but still asked - you are allowed to say "I prefer to focus on the market rate for this role" and move on.
- Saying "I'm flexible" without any other framing. This reads as uncertainty, not generosity. If you are genuinely flexible, say "I'm flexible depending on the total comp structure" - which signals sophistication rather than weakness.
- Conflating base with total comp. A $250K base at a public company with 20% target bonus and $200K in annual equity is a very different number than a $250K base at an early-stage startup with minimal equity. Always talk total comp. Always.
- Not knowing what you are actually worth. If you have not looked at Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, and at least two recent job postings with salary transparency in the last two weeks, you are guessing. Guessing in a comp conversation is expensive.
- Having competing offers - real or in progress. If you have another offer or an active process at a competitor, you do not need to hide it. "I have another process I'm mid-way through" is a legitimate and often accurate statement that increases your negotiating position significantly. Just do not fabricate it.
According to a 2024 Salary.com survey, 76% of hiring managers say they would not rescind an offer because a candidate negotiated. The actual risk of negotiating is far lower than most candidates believe.
How the Question Gets Harder - and What Changes at the Executive Level
At the Director and VP level, compensation conversations carry additional complexity that most interview prep advice ignores entirely. Three things shift:
If you are being considered for a VP of Sales or CRO role, ask about the on-target earnings structure and variable composition before you finalize comp expectations. The base salary is often the least interesting number. Comp packages with strong equity upside and reasonable variable targets can be worth significantly more over 3-4 years than a higher base at a company with no equity or a punishing quota model. See our breakdown of how to read a total comp offer for the full framework.
Related: if you are evaluating roles in different markets - US-based, APAC-remote, European - compensation benchmarking gets significantly more complex. Market rates vary enormously. A VP of Sales role based in Singapore or Tokyo operates in a different comp landscape than the same role in San Francisco. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples. See how to research what a role actually pays before your next negotiation conversation.
What to Do This Week
Knowing the scripts is step one. Implementing them requires preparation before you get on the call. Here is what to do before your next interview:
If you are actively running a search and want to know how your positioning compares to what companies are actually looking for at your level, the JobHunter audit surfaces the specific gaps filtering you out before you even get to the compensation conversation. Worth 90 seconds to find out.
Also worth reading: how to negotiate a signing bonus and how to evaluate equity in an executive offer - both part of the same negotiation conversation, just later in the process.
Find your blind spot in 90 seconds.
41% of professionals have a critical blind spot filtering them out. Find yours free.