Competing offer email example: what to say to a recruiter

Last updated: June 2026 · ~5 min read · Tied to: Counter-Offer Kit

Short answer

A good competing-offer email is short and does four things: it says you want the role, names the other company and number in one sentence, asks them to close a specific gap, and gives a clear deadline. Below is a full, filled-in example you can adapt in a couple of minutes — plus a line-by-line breakdown of why each sentence is there.

The full example (filled in)

This is a complete, realistic email — names and numbers are illustrative. Swap in your own.

Subject: Re: Senior Designer offer — quick comp question

Hi Priya,

Thank you again for the offer to join Northwind as a Senior Product Designer. I want to be upfront: this is the role I want — the team and the problems you're working on are exactly what I'm looking for.

I also have a written offer from Lumen Labs at $128,000 base. The two roles are comparable, which puts Northwind's $116,000 about $12,000 lower on base.

Would there be room to bring the base to $128,000? If base is constrained on your side, a $12,000 signing bonus would close the same gap and works just as well for me.

I'd like to give Lumen an answer by Friday, May 30, so anything you can share before then would help me say yes to Northwind cleanly.

Thanks so much,
Alex Rivera

Why each line is there

"This is the role I want." Removes the threat. The recruiter now reads everything else as logistics, not a walk-away.
"$128,000 base… $12,000 lower." A named company and exact numbers are defensible — the recruiter can repeat them to a comp committee.
"If base is constrained, a $12,000 signing bonus…" Gives them an easy yes when base is capped. Flexibility makes the ask feel collaborative.
"…by Friday." A real deadline creates urgency without pressure, and explains why you need an answer.

Written for the moment you're drafting a real reply inside a decision window.
The example is calm and specific — the two traits that make an ask easy to act on.
Designed for people who don't negotiate often.
Real workplace register — not internet bravado.

Variation: when the roles aren't equivalent

The example above assumes two comparable roles. Often they aren't — different level, different city, different company stage. Forcing the comparison weakens it; naming the difference yourself keeps it credible:

I want to be straight about the comparison: the [OTHER_COMPANY] role is [more senior / in a higher-cost city / at a later-stage company], so they aren't identical roles. The base is still $128,000 against $116,000 here. Given that I'd rather be on this team, is there room to narrow that gap?

Conceding the difference costs you nothing and makes the number you do cite harder to dismiss.

Variation: the deadline is days away

If the other offer expires before a comp committee could realistically meet, ask about timing rather than only about money:

I need to give [OTHER_COMPANY] an answer by [DATE]. If there's any room on base or a signing bonus, knowing before then would let me decline them and sign here. If the timing is impossible on your side, tell me and I'll work with what I have.

The last sentence matters — it gives them an honest way out, which is what keeps this from reading as pressure.

What a partial response can look like

Hypothetical illustration (not a customer result, not a prediction) · Product designer, $12K gap

Suppose a candidate sends the email above almost verbatim. One possible outcome in this hypothetical: base can't move past $122K, but the company adds a $10K signing bonus and an extra week of PTO — a partial close. A real employer might equally hold firm, offer nothing, or withdraw. This is one imagined response used to show what "partial" looks like — it is not drawn from a customer, and nothing here predicts what any employer will do.

A partial close is a normal result and usually worth accepting on the spot if the role is the one you want. The Counter-Offer Kit includes the reply for exactly this — accepting a partial improvement without re-opening the negotiation.

What NOT to say

"I have other options." Too vague — name the company and number or don't mention it.
"You'll need to do better than Lumen." Framing it as a contest invites a no.
Opening with the competing offer before saying you want the role.
Writing three paragraphs of justification. Short and specific beats long and defensive.

The real risk

No one can promise how an employer responds — policies differ, and a company may improve the offer, hold firm, or step back. What the version above does is remove the avoidable risks: it's honest, specific, and makes clear you prefer this role, which is what lets a recruiter carry it upstream. Avoid ultimatums and inflated numbers; the rest is a genuine decision on their side.

If your situation doesn't match the example — verbal offer, expired deadline, capped base — the right move may not be this email at all. The free Competing Offer Decision Check (six questions, nothing stored) points you to the safer move first.

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FAQ

What should a competing offer email include?

Four things: that you want this role, the competing company and number in one sentence, a specific ask to close the gap, and a clear deadline. Keep it short — under 150 words.

How do I start a competing offer email?

Start with genuine thanks and a clear statement that you want the role. Leading with the competing offer reads as a threat; leading with preference frames the rest as a logistics question.

Should the email be to the recruiter or hiring manager?

Send it to whoever made the offer. Usually that's the recruiter, who carries comp requests to the hiring manager and comp committee. If the hiring manager made the offer directly, reply to them.