Practise a difficult conversation
Reading about a hard conversation is the theory test. Practising it is the driving test. Pick the one you need — a pay rise, an interview, tough feedback, a firing — get a short script, then rehearse it live with an AI partner before you walk into the room.
Career
How to ask for a pay rise
Name the number, show the value, and leave with a dated next step.
Practise your job interview answers
Turn vague interview stories into specific, structured answers under probing.
How to tell your boss you're resigning
Resign in one clear sentence, hold it, and offer a transition.
How to negotiate salary
Name a counter, hold the “fixed band,” and leave with a written revision.
Questions to ask in an interview
Ask sharp questions and follow up when the answers go vague.
How to answer what are your weaknesses
Name a real weakness, show the change, and survive the follow-up.
How to answer tell me about yourself
A 90-second present-past-future pitch aimed at this role.
How to ask for a promotion
Name the next role, show you are already doing it, and get a date.
How to ask for flexible working
Name the pattern, show coverage, and get a written decision date.
Manager
How to tell an employee they're not getting promoted
Deliver a clear no, honest reasons, and a path — then hold it.
How to give feedback to a colleague
Give peer feedback that stays specific when they call it an attack.
How to give negative feedback to an employee
Name the slip with examples, keep the message intact, agree dated actions.
How to talk to an employee about personal hygiene
Raise body odour privately, directly, and with a practical next step.
How to fire someone
Lead with the decision, stay human, and do not reopen the case.
How to put someone on a PIP
Name the plan, the measures, and the review — without pretending it is casual.
How to tell someone they're being made redundant
The role is gone. Say that, stay human, and do not fake a promise.
Commercial
How to respond when a customer says a competitor is cheaper
Hold price under a real cheaper quote without panic-discounting.
How to handle an angry customer
Let them finish, name the miss, and offer a fix you can keep.
How to handle a billing dispute
Billed twice or advertised versus itemised — check the ledger, then fix it.
How to handle a cancellation call
They said just cancel it. Hear why, then save or close without a trap.
How to handle a repeat complaint
Third call, promised callback never came. Own the miss and stop restarting.
How to handle an abusive caller
Swearing and threats. Name the line, then end the call if it stays crossed.
How to respond when a customer says send me an email
Send-me-an-email is a stall. Book a next step, then send a short artefact.
How to respond when a customer already has a supplier
They already have a supplier. Respect it, find the gap, book a next step.
How to respond when a customer says they are not interested
Not interested, or a hang-up. Hear the no, ask once, leave the door usable.
Compliance
How to talk to a vulnerable customer
Spot hardship mid-call, leave the script, and offer a real next step.
How to respond when a colleague discloses harassment
Listen, refuse a secrecy promise, and signpost the real route.
How to take a bereavement call
Mum died. Stop the script, slow down, and walk a usable next step.
How to spot bribery red flags
Just this once, a facilitation payment, hospitality with a string. Name it.