Walk into the hard conversation with the exact words ready.

Describe the person and what you need. You get opening lines, a reply to each likely pushback, your walk-away point, and a practice round.

Built by Atharva Shah. Hard Conversation Prep costs $19, paid once. Buy Hard Conversation Prep. The skill folder and setup guide arrive by email.

Hard Conversation Prep at a glance

Hard Conversation Prep is an AI agent skill for Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, and other agents that read SKILL.md. The script, the talking points, and the answers to the pushback you expect. Best for: difficult conversation script.

Works with
Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Cursor, GitHub Copilot
Category
Everyday social
Price
$19, one payment
Requirements
Needs a paid Claude plan with skills, in the Claude app or Claude Code. It prepares you for a conversation. It is not legal, medical, or therapy advice.
Included
Three opening options, Pushback reply bank, Non-negotiables sheet, Role-play practice

What Hard Conversation Prep produces

A one-page conversation prep document for asking for a raise, showing the goal and three opening lines.
The opening lines. You get the exact first sentence, in three versions, for the conversation you keep putting off. (sample output)
A prep document section listing four likely objections from a manager and a written reply to each.
Pushback, answered. Each likely objection comes with a calm reply that brings the talk back to your point. (sample output)
A prep document listing must, ideal and stop outcomes, plus three ways to close the conversation.
Your walk-away point. Your minimum, your best case and your stop line are written down before you walk in. (sample output)

Ten minutes of prep for the talk you keep avoiding.

Every conversation gets the same three steps.

  1. Describe the situation. Who it is with, what it is about, and what you want. Add the history and how they usually react, because that shapes every line.
  2. Read the prep guide. Mindset, timing, three openings, your points, replies to the pushback you expect, your non-negotiables, and three ways to close.
  3. Rehearse it out loud. Claude plays the other person and pushes back the way they would. You practice until the hard sentences come out easily.

Advice will not help you mid-sentence.

Articles tell you to be assertive. In the room you need the sentence to say when they push back.

Hard Conversation Prep

  • Exact words. Openings, points, and replies you can say as written.
  • Their side too. It names what they probably want from the talk.
  • Five pushback replies. Including when they get upset or shut down.
  • Rehearsal. Claude plays the other person until you are ready.

Asking a chatbot

  • General tips. "Stay calm and use I statements" and nothing you can say.
  • Only your side. It never asks what the other person wants.
  • No pushback plan. You freeze at the first objection.
  • No bottom line. You forget your minimum outcome under pressure.

Coaches and therapists

  • Booked days ahead. The talk is tomorrow and the next slot is next week.
  • An hourly rate. One prep session can cost more than a month of Claude.
  • Deeper than you need. Useful for patterns, slow for one conversation.
  • Awkward for small things. You will not book a session to confront a landlord.

It sounds like you on your calmest day.

Talking points come as points, so you say them in your own words. The tone changes with the relationship, so a boss, a partner, and a client each get different framing. It never writes guilt trips or tricks, and it does not cast the other person as the villain.

Questions about Hard Conversation Prep

How do I start a very difficult conversation?

Name the topic in the first sentence, say what you need, and then listen. The skill writes three opening lines so you can pick the one that fits.

What are some good scripts for having difficult conversations?

Good scripts plan the opening, the replies to likely pushback, and your walk-away point. The skill writes all three for your situation and then plays the other side for practice.

What kinds of conversations does it cover?

Asking for a raise, giving hard feedback, setting a boundary, a client complaint, ending a working relationship, a talk with family, or a landlord dispute.

Which Claude plan do I need?

Any paid plan that runs skills. Pro is enough.

What else do I pay for?

Nothing. There are no other tools or keys.

Will I sound scripted?

The openings and pushback replies come as exact words, because those are the moments people freeze. The main points come as talking points, so you say them your way.

How does the practice round work?

After the guide, ask Claude to play the other person. It pushes back realistically, and you practice your replies until they feel natural.

What are non-negotiables?

Your minimum acceptable outcome, your ideal outcome, and the point where you end the talk or escalate. Writing them down stops you from giving them up in the moment.

Does it help me manipulate people?

No. It prepares honest, direct communication. It will not write guilt trips, tricks, or threats.

Is what I share private?

It runs inside your own Claude account under your plan’s privacy settings. Leave out names if you prefer, and it still works.

Is this a replacement for legal or HR advice?

No. When a talk involves legal risk, a firing, or HR, it flags that and you should speak to the right professional too.

What if the real talk goes differently?

Tell it what happened. It helps you plan the follow-up and the next conversation from where things stand.

Does this skill work with Gemini CLI, Codex, Cursor, or GitHub Copilot?

Yes, with one caveat. The skill is a SKILL.md folder in the Agent Skills open standard, which Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot all load. It is built and tested on Claude Code. Steps that lean on Claude-only features, such as parallel subagents, run one after another or need a manual step in other agents.

How do I install an agent skill?

Copy the skill folder into your agent's skills directory: ~/.claude/skills for Claude Code, or the skills folder your agent documents for Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Cursor, or Copilot. The agent reads the description and loads the skill when your request matches it. Each skill ships with a setup guide for any tool it needs.

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