I received an email recently about a service that might be potentially interesting to my business.
The price wasn’t small, but the potential value was interesting so I thought I’d sleep on the idea before responding…. and then forgot about it.
Five days later the follow up email arrived, but still I hesitated.
Two days after that the third email arrived offering me a 25% discount and telling me that if this wasn’t acceptable to tell them my available budget so they could consider whether or not we could agree a deal.
That made me nervous…. so I perused a little more.
A week later, the fourth email arrived, this time offering me a 60% discount off the original quoted price, only 12 days after the initial approach!
What that tells me is that a) the initial price isn’t what the supplier thinks their service is actually worth and b) they’re desperate for the business.
Discounts can be useful as part of a negotiation but only if:
- You have complete confidence that your price can be justified.
- You understand the value of your services to the prospect ….. and they’ve confirmed that value.
- The prospect has demonstrated genuine interest in what you’re offering.
Throwing discounts into the picture without any form of engagement won’t help you sell and in all likelihood, it’ll ensure that the prospect will never engage with you in the future.
Negotiation is a skill and if this is something you struggle with, then let’s talk.
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