negotiationlisted

# Negotiation ## Purpose Get a deal closed on terms you can defend without eroding price. Every concession is traded for something that improves the deal — never given to "get to yes." ## Inputs - The specific ask (discount %, terms, what the buyer wants) - Deal value, products/SKUs in play, and your floor (walk-away price/terms) - The value drivers and pains already established — your leverage to re-sell - Open objections and what the buyer has already committed to ## Method 1. **Diagnose before you respond.** Don't react to the number. Find out *why*: is it budget, a competing quote, internal approval theater, or a test? The right response differs for each. Ask: "Help me understand — is this a budget ceiling, or are you comparing against another option?" 2. **Anchor first, anchor high.** Whoever frames the number first sets the range. Lead with full price tied to the value/ROI you established — never open with a discount. If they anchor low, re-anchor to value before discussing the gap; don't negotiate against their number. 3. **Trade, don't cave.** Never give a concession without getting something back. The rule is "If… then…": *"If you can do X, then I can do Y."* A unilateral discount trains the buyer that your price is fiction and that pushing harder pays. 4. **Re-sell value to protect price.** Before conceding a cent, return to the cost of the problem and the value of the outcome. Reframe price as a fraction of the value delivered: "The