A live cohort from Afterpage
Raise Ready. A 30-day challenge.
Hostage negotiation tactics, rehearsed live with peers, so you walk into your pay conversation calm and prepared.
- Starts
- Saturday, November 14, 2026
- Sessions
- Five live sessions, 60 minutes each, Saturdays at 11:00 AM ET
- Seats
- 5, by application
- Cost
- Free for the founding cohort, with a US$97 deposit. You get all of it back when you attend all five sessions and take an active part in each. If you miss a session or leave the cohort partway, your deposit isn’t refunded.
About five minutes. Then book a 15-minute call with David right away.
Your script, page 1
Manager
“There’s just no budget for raises this year.”
You
“It sounds like the budget was set before my numbers came in.”
A label, not an argument.
Manager
“That’s fair. My hands are tied, though.”
You
“How do we make sure my work is recognized when the next budget is set?”
Ask how, not why.
Rehearsed out loud with your cohort before you say it for real.
The next step for Never Split the Difference
Knowing the ideas is step one. Saying them out loud is the next step.
You know you’ve earned more. Saying it out loud is the hard part.
Most people never ask. Not because they don’t deserve it, but because the conversation feels risky. You might sound greedy, freeze when your manager says no, or strain a relationship you rely on every day.
Reading about negotiation doesn’t fix that. You can understand every idea in Never Split the Difference and still go blank when it’s your own salary on the line. What changes it is practice: out loud, with people who push back the way your manager will.
How the 30 days work
Five live video sessions, one a week, 60 minutes each. Sessions are Saturdays at 11:00 AM ET: November 14, 21 and 28, and December 5 and 12. Between sessions, your cohort’s WhatsApp group keeps everyone practicing.
Session 1
Kickoff
Saturday, November 14
Map your situation: your role, your wins, your number, and the conversation you’re preparing for.
Session 2
The tactics
Saturday, November 21
Learn the core moves from the book, such as labels, mirrors and calibrated questions, and practice each one in pairs.
Session 3
The pushbacks
Saturday, November 28
Peers play your manager and use the lines you’re dreading, like “there’s no budget” or “let’s revisit next review.”
Session 4
Your hardest moment
Saturday, December 5
Work on the part of the conversation that worries you most, and build your plan for when cash is capped.
Session 5
Dress rehearsal
Saturday, December 12
Run your real conversation start to finish, take feedback, and lock in your final script.
What you walk away with
- A written script for the pay conversation you’re actually facing, with calm responses to the pushbacks you’re most likely to hear.
- Live rehearsal in every session, with honest feedback from people who want you to do well.
- A plan for what to ask for if cash is capped: a title, time off, a learning budget, or a review date in writing.
- A separate 15-minute one-on-one call with David right before your real pay conversation.
- A small group of peers who know exactly what you’re walking into.
Is this for you?
It’s a fit if
- You’re employed and want a raise.
- You have a pay conversation or review in the next 30 to 60 days.
- You’re willing to practice out loud, on camera, with four other people.
It’s not a fit if
- You’re negotiating a new job offer. That program comes later.
- You want tricks to manipulate people. Everything here is about calm, honest conversations.
- You can’t make all five live sessions.
Your host, David Lee
I negotiate renewals and expansions with large enterprise customers for a living. Before that, I was a 911 operator, where staying calm while someone else panics was the whole job.
That calm is also the core of Chris Voss’s method. He spent years as an FBI hostage negotiator, and his book turns that experience into tactics anyone can use.
Good ideas deserve a next step. Raise Ready is the next step for his book.
The founding cohort is free.
Future cohorts will cost US$497. This first one is free. In return, we ask for your honest feedback, and later a short testimonial about what changed for you. The testimonial is optional and doesn’t affect your deposit refund.
To hold your seat, you pay a US$97 deposit. You get all of it back when you attend every live session, from the kickoff to the dress rehearsal, and take an active part in each one. That means speaking up and practicing, not watching quietly.
If you miss a session or leave the cohort partway, your US$97 deposit isn’t refunded. Late joins, reconnects and emergencies are covered in the terms.
Questions
Do I need to have read the book?
No. Once you’re accepted you’ll get Afterpage’s free Key Ideas guide to Never Split the Difference, and every session teaches what you need.
Can you guarantee I’ll get a raise?
No one can promise what your employer decides. What you can count on is walking in prepared, with a plan you’ve already rehearsed out loud.
What if my company has fixed pay bands?
We plan for that. Your script includes what to ask for when cash is capped, so you don’t walk out with nothing.
When are the sessions?
Sessions are Saturdays at 11:00 AM ET: November 14, 21 and 28, and December 5 and 12. Each one is 60 minutes.
How do I get my deposit back?
Attend all five live sessions and take an active part in each one. David refunds the full US$97 after the dress rehearsal. If you miss a session or leave the cohort partway, your US$97 deposit isn’t refunded. Late joins, reconnects and emergencies are covered in the terms.
Is this about manipulating my manager?
No. The tactics are about listening well, staying calm and asking better questions. Think of it as defence, not attack.
Apply for one of five seats.
Applications close Friday, November 13, or sooner if the seats fill.
Start your application- Fill in a short application. It takes about five minutes.
- Right away, book a 15-minute video call with David. It’s how you both check it’s a fit.
- If it’s a fit, David sends you a link after the call to pay your US$97 deposit and hold your seat.