Articles - "Drop your price if you want my business"

Or my favourite is "I've got two quotes from other companies which are much cheaper than you for exactly the same thing." This is one of the biggest lies of all time told by clients. What they actually mean is they have two cheaper quotes from other companies with something similar but inferior in some way to your offering. How do I know that? Because if they really had an identical quote cheaper from another company they would buy it from the other company and not waste their time talking to you. The reason they are talking to you is before they prefer your proposal for a specific reason. You have to find out what that reason is.

I am often asked about this during our Successful Agency Negotiation Skills workshop. So how do you handle a conversation like this?  ........rest of copy to go onto the website The client has probably phoned you. First I'd ask the client to tell me a little more about the different proposals by asking some simple open questions. Then I'd say 'I'd like to come and see you to discuss this and see if we can resolve this situation.' Before going to the meeting firstly plan and craft your questions and secondly anticipate their likely comments and questions. When you are then face-to-face say 'Putting price aside, what is it that you like about our proposal?' Let the client remind themselves of the reasons they like your proposal. This enables you to understand more clearly their priorities and how you either hold at the original price or cut back the proposal slightly and then reduce your price accordingly. Don't reduce price without taking out value or trading it for other concessions of value to you.

If you want to know more about our Successful Agency Negotiation Skills workshop which can include Dealing with Procurement then please call or drop me an email.