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Rehearse difficult conversations before they happen

April 14th, 2026

Practise salary talks, feedback and client boundaries with a persona that mirrors real life triggers for high-stakes moments.

CommunicationCoachingPersonas
Nils Borgböhmer

The hardest conversations are they're the ones you haven't prepared for.

Whether it's negotiating a salary, managing a difficult team member or pushing back on a client, high-stakes conversations have a way of going sideways when you're unprepared. Ask Sona gives you a safe place to rehearse them with a persona that pushes back the way the real person would.

What this looks like in practice

Build a persona of the person you need to talk to. A risk-averse manager. A defensive colleague. A client who always redirects to budget. Give them the communication patterns, triggers, and priorities that make the real conversation hard. Then practise:

"How would you respond if I asked for a 20% raise right now?"
"What would make you feel defensive about this feedback?"
"What would it take for you to agree to this proposal?"

With Ask Sona you'll be able to build the muscle memory to stay calm, strategic, and persuasive when it counts.

What you can do with it

  • Rehearse salary negotiations with a persona modelled on your actual manager
  • Practise delivering difficult feedback to someone who doesn't take it well
  • Prepare for a client conversation where you need to hold a boundary or change direction
  • Explore what language and framing lands best with a specific communication style
  • Build confidence for high-stakes moments by reducing the element of surprise

The result

Conversations that go the way you planned them. Less anxiety, more clarity, and the kind of composure that only comes from having already been through it — even if just in rehearsal.

Bring your research into the room

Build interactive personas from your notes and files, ask them anything, and align your team before you ship. Start free in a few minutes.

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