Best Counteroffer Letter Samples to Get Your Preferred Offer

counteroffer letter

If you’re uncomfortable with the salary, benefits, or perks associated with your job offer, sending a counteroffer letter is your best shot at negotiating for a better salary or benefits. When sending counteroffers, you need to be courteous and professional. To avoid losing the job, your counteroffer letter needs to be polite and not step on any toes. 

In this article, we’re going to explain what a counteroffer is, how to write a counteroffer letter, and include some samples to help you write the best counteroffer letters. 

So, without further ado:

What is a Counteroffer Letter?

A counteroffer letter is a formal letter sent to a company to renegotiate the initial job offer that you’re uncomfortable with. A counteroffer doesn’t mean declining the job offer, it just means renegotiating the offer. 

In your counteroffer letter, you must first state your interest and gratitude for the job, before proceeding to counter the offer. 

There are many instances where you might need to send a counteroffer letter. Here are some of the most common:

  1. The salary is below the market average. If you’re offered a position with a salary that’s below the market value, this is enough ground for you to send a counteroffer letter. 
  2. The commission doesn’t match your skill level or expertise. If you had a truckload of experience it makes no sense to settle for an offer that doesn’t match this. So, if you’re a seasoned professional in your field, it only makes sense that you would want an offer that matches your current experience. 
  3. The salary is inadequate for the area of living. If you’re working remotely, this may not be an option for you. But if you have to commute to work, or have to relocate, then this is enough ground for you to send in a counteroffer letter. 
  4. If the perks are inadequate. 
  5. If you have multiple job offers. If you happen to have multiple job offers and the company you’d like to work for isn’t paying you as much as your other offer, you can send a counteroffer to have them match it. Using your other offer as a bargaining chip may even work in your favor, but this must be done carefully so you don’t end up losing the offer altogether. 
Phone Interview Confirmation Email

How to Write a Counteroffer Letter

When writing a counteroffer letter for whatever reason, you need to ensure it’s written with a professional undertone. Also, ensure to be clear and precise when you ask for what you want. Your letter should be formatted like a business letter and should follow these steps:

  1. Should include your contact information. As said earlier, a counteroffer letter is a professional letter, this means it must follow all the professional letter writing etiquette. At the top left of your letter, include your full name, contact information, address, date, employer’s full name, address, and title. 
  2. Greet the recipient. Your letter should start with you greeting the recipient professionally, such as, “Dear Mr. James.”
  3. Proceed with your introduction. Your letter should begin with you thanking the hiring manager for the job offer and concisely highlighting your interest in the position. Explain why you believe you’re the perfect candidate for the position and do this by carefully touching on your experience. This goes to show the hiring manager that you actually know your onions.  
  4. State the company’s offer and your counteroffer. In this section of the letter, clearly state the company’s offer and touch on their generosity before stating your counteroffer. After stating your counteroffer, you must explain why you believe it is justified. This can be for a myriad of reasons, but you must explain why you believe you’re worth that much or why you want that much. 
  5. Round up the letter. After stating your counteroffer, reiterate your excitement at the opportunity to with them, and offer your availability if they’d like to discuss the counteroffer in person. 
  6. Close the letter. When closing your letter, you should use a formal salutation like, “Sincerely,” or “kind regards,” accompanied by your full name and signature. 

Essential Tips for Writing Counteroffer Letters

Here are more tips to keep in mind before writing counteroffer letters. 

  1. Do your research. If your counteroffer is presented on the grounds of your compensation being below the median average, presenting the data supporting your case would go a long way to see you get what you want. If your grounds are based on the high cost of living, also backing up your counteroffer with these facts will go a long way. 
  2. Toot your horn. If you have a rare sought-after skill or have a massive achievement under your belt, reminding the recipient of the letter of this goes a long way to translate your value and get you the desired offer. 
  3. Request, not demand. When writing a counteroffer letter, remember to request the new wage and not demand it. While your letter should be written with a firm undertone, it should not be aggressive, condescending, or be written using absolutes. 
  4. Include your other offers if there are any. As we said earlier, if you have multiple offers, including them in your letter as a bargaining chip is a great strategy to help you get the salary you want. 
  5. Set a minimum amount. This amount cannot be determined by the median average for the role, or by any other external factor. This answer can only be gotten by you. Understanding the minimum amount you want for the job helps you make your decisions faster. This way, before they send their response regardless if it’s a yes or a no, you already know the route you want to take. 
  6. Proofread your letter. This goes without saying, but your letter should be void of errors. It would come across as incredibly unprofessional if your letter was riddled with inconsistent statistics or grammatical errors. 
How to Respond to Interview Feedback Email: Examples Included

Counteroffer Letter Template

[Your full name]
[Your address]
[City, state, ZIP code]
[Phone number]

[Date]

[Hiring manager's/recipient's full name]
[Company name and title]
[Company address]
[City, state, ZIP code]

Dear [Name of recipient],

[Express your gratitude for the position and your interest in the role. In the last sentence, state your reason for the letter.]

[State your request and reason. Provide the data or statistics to back any claim you make.]
[Conclude the letter by reiterating your enthusiasm for the position.]

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Counteroffer Letter Sample

Lee Jim
St James St. 
Oklahoma, NJ 12345
123-456-7890

June 20, 2022

San Justin
Director of Marketing, Flavour Inc. 
123 Vermont Avenue, 
Los Angeles, CA 12345

Dear Mr. Justin

Thank you for offering me the position of Marketing Associate at Flavour Inc. I am beyond excited at the opportunity to work with you and I believe my 6 years of experience meeting and exceeding marketing KPIs will make me a valuable member of your team. While your offer is great I would like to propose a counteroffer to the base salary. 

While the salary of $68,000 is undoubtedly generous, I would like to propose a salary of $72,000. The median average for a marketing associate is $70,000 and your offer falls short of this. With my experience and track record with my previous employer, I believe that $72,000 is fair compensation.  I believe I am the perfect candidate for this role and I am excited to join the team. 

If you'd like to discuss this further whether in person or on a call, please let me know. 
Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely, 
Lee Jim

Conclusion

When writing counteroffer letters, it is important to remember that you can be met with a no. In the event of this, you need to consider other factors such as the perks, opportunity for career growth, etc. All of this should help you make the decision of declining the job offer or continuing. 

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