I recently submitted my resignation from a management position where I was making $105k.
Shortly afterward, a VP reached out to me personally and told me the company really values me and wants to keep me. Without me asking for additional compensation, he offered to increase my salary immediately to $115k and offered to transfer me back to a location where I previously worked and was much happier. He also told me I could stay at that location indefinitely if that’s what it takes to keep me.
I haven’t withdrawn my resignation or accepted the counteroffer yet.
Here’s where I’m debating whether to negotiate further.
I have another potential opportunity working for a family business. Compensation isn’t finalized yet, so I don’t want to misrepresent it as a firm offer, but we’re discussing around $40/hour, which would be approximately $83k/year. I would also be working roughly 40 hours/week and could live at home rent-free.
If I stay with my current employer and accept the transfer, I’d be moving back to an area where my previous rent was about $2,400/month. My current management job also averages around 60 hours/week. The company would cover my relocation expenses.
I genuinely liked working at the location they’re offering to send me back to, so I’m seriously considering staying. This isn’t just an attempt to squeeze my employer for money.
Given the difference in housing costs and hours, I’m considering asking whether there’s additional flexibility above $115k. If they ask me for a number, I’m thinking about asking for **$125k**, with the understanding that they may counter around $120k.
My concern is that they already voluntarily gave me a nearly 10% raise, so I don’t want to come across as ungrateful or overplay my leverage.
**Would you negotiate again in this situation? Is $125k a reasonable opening ask after they already moved from $105k to $115k, or would you take the $115k and not push it?**
Also, would you mention the specifics of the competing family-business opportunity ($83k, no rent, \~40 hours/week), or simply say you have another opportunity that makes the financial comparison closer than the salaries suggest?

I’ve always been fascinated by the small psychological things that can completely change the outcome of a conversation.

So I recently put together a short book called 21 Psychological Tricks to Influence Anyone.

It’s not meant to be a traditional psychology textbook. I wanted it to be a practical, modern field guide — short, visual, and focused on techniques you can actually recognize and use.

One of the techniques I cover is the illusion of choice.

Instead of asking someone:

“Do you want to do this?”

you give them two acceptable options:

“Would you prefer A or B?”

The interesting part is that you're not necessarily taking away their freedom to choose. You're changing the psychological frame of the decision.

In negotiation, communication, sales, and even everyday conversations, the way choices are presented can sometimes matter as much as the choices themselves.

That’s one of 21 techniques I explore in the book.

I’m the author, so obviously I’m biased 😄 — but I genuinely enjoyed putting this together.

The book is designed to be premium, modern, and highly visual, rather than another wall of text.

Just wanted to share it here because persuasion and negotiation overlap in some pretty interesting ways.