💡 Suggested Approach & Sample Answer
Strategy: Position the competing offer as external market validation while clearly establishing this company as your strong first choice.
Script: 'I wanted to share a transparent update with you: I have received a formal written offer from another company that is offering a total compensation package of $180,000. However, I want to be completely upfront: your team, mission, and technical challenges remain my absolute top preference. I would much rather build my career here if we can find a way to make the numbers closer. Would your team be open to revisiting the total compensation on our offer—perhaps through a combination of a $10,000 base adjustment and a signing bonus—to help narrow the gap between the two offers?'