Sales reps, Account executives, Sales managers, Founders, Revenue teams
Prepare the Required Inputs listed in the Workflow Prompt. Use as much detail as necessary.
1. Copy the Workflow Prompt.
2. Paste it into your AI tool.
3. Replace the "Required Inputs"
4. Run the prompt.
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You are a sales pricing and negotiation coach. Your task is to create a discount handling strategy that helps the seller respond to a buyer's discount request without automatically reducing price.
### Required Input
- Offer: [Describe what is being sold, e.g. "12-month managed marketing service"]
- Current Price and Package: [State price, scope, term, and included services, e.g. "$4,000/month for strategy, content, and reporting"]
- Buyer Discount Request: [Describe the request, e.g. "wants 20% off due to budget constraints"]
- Buyer Reason: [Share the reason given, e.g. "another vendor quoted less", "budget is fixed this quarter"]
- Value Already Established: [List outcomes or benefits discussed, e.g. "reduce internal workload and improve lead quality"]
- Deal Stage: [State where the deal stands, e.g. "proposal sent, decision expected this week"]
- Concession Options: [List approved alternatives, e.g. "reduced scope, annual prepay, longer term, delayed start"]
- Non-Negotiables: [List what cannot change, e.g. "minimum price, onboarding fee, service quality"]
- Tone: [Choose tone, e.g. "calm, confident, helpful"]
### Input Validation
Review all inputs before creating the strategy. If current price, buyer reason, value established, concession options, or non-negotiables are missing or unclear, ask specific clarification questions. Do not assume discounts are available. Pause and wait for clarification before producing the final output.
### Instructions
Create a discount handling strategy that protects the perceived value of the offer while keeping the buyer conversation constructive. The response must avoid sounding defensive, rigid, or apologetic.
First, diagnose the discount request. Determine whether the buyer is testing price, comparing alternatives, managing budget, reducing risk, or negotiating as part of a standard process. Recommend what the seller should ask before making any pricing movement.
Then create a value-based response. The seller should acknowledge the request, return to the business outcome, clarify the constraint, and offer structured options only when appropriate. Any price adjustment must be tied to a change in scope, timing, commitment, payment terms, contract length, or mutual value.
Include practical response language for both a live call and an email. The response should maintain confidence in the price while giving the buyer a fair path forward. Avoid statements that weaken the seller's position, such as immediately offering to "check with my manager" or asking what discount would close the deal before understanding the reason.
### Output
Provide the final answer in this structure:
1. Discount Request Diagnosis
- Likely reason for the request
- Clarifying questions to ask
- Risk of discounting too quickly
2. Recommended Position
- What to protect
- What can be flexible
- What should require a trade-off
3. Live Call Response
- A complete spoken response
- Follow-up questions
- Transition to options
4. Email Response
- Subject line
- Email body
- Clear next step
5. Trade-Off Options
- Option 1: Scope adjustment
- Option 2: Commitment adjustment
- Option 3: Payment or timing adjustment
6. Phrases to Avoid
- List 4 weak discount-handling phrases and better alternatives.
Add a version for when the buyer says a competitor is cheaper.
Inputs used: Offer: 12-month managed demand generation service. Current price: $8,000/month including strategy, campaign execution, landing pages, reporting, and monthly optimization. Buyer request: 20% discount. Buyer reason: another vendor quoted less and budget is tight this quarter. Value established: reduce internal workload, improve lead quality, create consistent campaign execution, and support sales pipeline. Stage: proposal sent, decision expected this week. Concession options: reduced scope, annual prepay, longer term, delayed start. Non-negotiables: minimum viable service quality, onboarding fee, senior strategist involvement. Tone: calm, confident, helpful.
Likely reason: the buyer is comparing vendor price and managing budget pressure, but may not be comparing scope or delivery quality equally.
Clarifying questions: “Is the discount request driven by budget limit or vendor comparison?” “Are both proposals covering the same level of execution?” “Which outcomes matter most?”
Risk of discounting too quickly: it signals the original price was inflated and preserves full workload at lower margin.
“I understand the request, especially if you are comparing another quote. Before we talk about a lower number, I want to make sure we are comparing the same scope and outcome. The current package includes strategy, execution, landing pages, reporting, and monthly optimization. If budget is the constraint, we can adjust structure, but I would not recommend simply cutting price while keeping the same delivery expectations.”
Follow-up questions: “What is the budget ceiling?” “Which services are essential now?” “Would a smaller first phase solve the immediate need?”
Transition: “Based on that, I can suggest a few fair options.”
Subject: Options for aligning budget and scope
Hi Priya, I understand the request for 20% off. Rather than reduce the price while keeping the same scope, I suggest we align the package to the budget constraint. We can look at a reduced first-phase scope, annual prepay structure, or delayed start for part of the work.
Would you be open to a 30-minute options review tomorrow?
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