[bm3719]

> I even tried playing the 'I have another offer elsewhere' lie card, with nothing to show for it.

You probably should've actually gotten an offer elsewhere, maybe even had it in hand and quoted the number for them to meet/exceed. Not actually having one can backfire. It's really an ultimatum, and one you should probably follow through on if called. Maybe it's not a factor in your case, but this can result in souring a relationship with your employer.

[nelsoch]

There was never an actual offer- and when presented with the notion, I was told that I may get something out of sticking around.