Skill · Complex deals
Negotiation
Protect value - trade terms instead of giving away margin.
Trade, don't discountGated for fixed-price motions
Why this skill exists
Undisciplined discounting destroys margin.
When price and terms are flexible, pressure to "just cut it" is constant. Without negotiation discipline, every deal teaches the buyer that asking harder gets a better price.
Weak negotiation
Give it away
- Naked discounts under pressure
- No exploration of what drives the ask
- Concede without trading
- Train it even when the motion is fixed-price
What is at stake
Margin and precedent
- One free discount becomes the new floor
- Value evaporates even when the product was a fit
- Reps who cannot trade lose commercial control
- Only relevant where the commercial profile allows flexibility
What reps practise
Protect value under price pressure.
Trade, don't discount
When the buyer pushes on price, package concessions against tradable terms - seats, term, support - instead of cutting margin.
When it matters
Negotiated deals and commercial flexibility.
Strategic AEs
Deals where terms are flexible
Enterprise commercial
Price pressure with tradable variables
One-call close
Where negotiation is enabled
Protect value - or give it away.
Back to the fundamentals that underpin every call.