Negotiation & Closing
Pricing objections, discounting, closing techniques, procurement.
What negotiation actually is
Negotiation isn't the moment you send a redlined contract. It starts the first time you mention price and ends when the deal is signed. Great negotiators shape the terms early — often before there's even a formal proposal — by anchoring expectations and building genuine value.
Anchoring your price
- State your list price early, confidently, and without apology.
- If the buyer flinches, don't discount instinctively — ask what "fits."
- Frame price against the quantified cost of the problem, not against competitors.
Handling pricing objections
| Objection | Response |
|---|---|
| "It's too expensive." | "Compared to what — a different vendor, or your budget?" |
| "We only have $X." | "If we could scope down to fit $X, what would we cut? And is $X actually approved, or is it a stretch you're still socializing?" |
| "Can you do 30% off?" | "Discounts of that size aren't something I can approve. What outcome do you need to see to make the list price defensible internally?" |
| "Your competitor is 40% cheaper." | "That's usually true — and here's what they don't include: [X, Y, Z]. Which of those matter for your use case?" |
| "We need to think about it." | "Of course. What specifically would you want to think through? I'd rather answer it now than have you guess." |
Discounting strategy
Every discount you give should get you something in return. This isn't greedy — it protects the deal from unraveling and preserves your CAC-to-LTV math.
- Trade for term: "I can get you 15% if we sign a 3-year deal."
- Trade for volume: "That price works if we include the second business unit now."
- Trade for speed: "If we can co-sign by Friday, I can protect this quarter's pricing."
- Trade for a case study or reference: valuable at growth-stage vendors.
Closing techniques
Modern closing is not one big "ABC — Always Be Closing" moment. It's a series of small commitments earned throughout the cycle. The best closes feel like the natural next step, not a jump.
- The summary close — recap agreed pains, outcomes, and next steps, then confirm signature timing.
- The assumptive close — "Great, then let's plan a kickoff for the week of the 22nd — does Wednesday work?"
- The alternative close — "Do you prefer annual invoicing or quarterly?"
- The takeaway close — "Given the timeline slip, would it be easier to push this to next quarter?" (Rarely — but powerful when the buyer is stalling.)
Procurement and legal
Procurement's job is to reduce cost and risk. They will ask for a discount. They will redline your MSA. Prepare for it:
- Ask your champion to introduce you to procurement before they sandbag you.
- Never re-open the commercial negotiation with procurement — anchor: "We already agreed on price with the business owner."
- Have a redline playbook: know which MSA clauses you can concede (payment terms) and which you can't (liability caps, IP).
- Loop in your own legal early. Deals slip most often in legal review.
Mutual Action Plans (MAPs)
A MAP is a shared document — a Google Sheet or a Notion doc — that lists every step from today to signature, with owners and dates. It's the single most under-used tool in B2B sales.
Every MAP includes:
- Kickoff / discovery date
- Demo / technical review dates
- Security review start and complete
- Procurement engagement start
- Legal redline exchange dates
- Executive alignment call
- Signature target
- Implementation kickoff
Send a draft MAP after the second call. Buyers who agree to a MAP close ~30% more reliably than those who don't.