Hey Niepodam,

Last quarter, I watched a rep give away $18K in discounts in under 3 minutes.

No pushback.
No trade.
No leverage.

Buyer says: “Can you sharpen the pencil a bit?”

Rep says: “Yeah, we could probably do 15% off.”

Just like that — margin gone.

After the call, I asked him one question: “What did you get in return?”

Silence. 

That’s when we rebuilt his approach using The Give & Get Matrix

The Scenario

• Mid-market SaaS deal.
• $120K ACV.
• Late-stage.
• Procurement involved.

Buyer email: “We need 20% off to move forward this quarter.”

Most reps treat this like a math problem.

It’s not. It’s a leverage problem.

The Give & Get Matrix

Before the next call, we mapped this out.

Potential Gives (what they want):

• Discount
• Flexible payment terms
• Extra seats
• Implementation support
• Shorter contract

Potential Gets (what we want):

• Multi-year agreement
• Upfront annual payment
• Case study
• Expansion clause
• Fast signature date
• Larger initial user count

Now we negotiate like adults.

How He Handled the Call

Buyer: “Can you do 20%?”

Rep: “I might be able to adjust pricing depending on structure. If we did something on price, what flexibility do you have on term?”

Pause.

Buyer: “We could look at a two-year.”

Now we’re talking.

Rep: “Got it. If you’re open to a two-year agreement signed by Friday, I can bring a revised option to finance.”

See what happened?

He didn’t reject.
He redirected.

The Tactical Framework

Here’s the structure I coach reps to use:

1. Acknowledge: “I understand budget’s important.”
2. Condition the Give: “Any movement on price would need to come with structure.”
3. Trade Immediately: “If we adjusted pricing, would you be open to ___?”
4. Package It: Don’t negotiate line by line. Bundle it: “Here are two options…”

• Option A: 10% off, annual upfront
• Option B: 18% off, two-year signed this week

Now you’re controlling the frame.

The Mindset Shift

Discounts aren’t concessions.

They’re investments. And investments require return.

If you discount without a trade, you’re not negotiating.

You’re donating.

Clean Takeaway

Before your next negotiation, build a simple two-column list:

Gives → Gets

If you can’t name the “get,” don’t make the give.

Margin follows structure.
Structure follows confidence.

Want me helping you and your team within your sales efforts? Let’s talk.

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Alan "Modern Seller" Ruchtein.

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