Negotiation: anchoring, concessions, BATNA
AI Sales 12 min
0/19
Business problem
Salespeople treat negotiation like a battle over price: 'the client wants a 20% discount, I defend the price'. The result: discounts without conditions, reduced value, a deal at any cost or a lost deal at a rigid price. Without BATNA and a concessions plan you negotiate from a position of fear.
Proven method
Negotiation preparation in 5 steps:
- BATNA: what you'll do if there's no deal (another lead, another segment, time for something else) — that's your negotiating power,
- SCOPE: what can be an anchor (price, scope, deadlines, terms — you negotiate more than price),
- VALUE VS PRICE: you have 2 tools: value re-framing (return to the discovery ROI — 'the price is 1/10 of the lost orders') and adding value (at a discount you offer a smaller scope instead of a lower price),
- CONCESSIONS: every concession for something ('I can lower it by 10% if it's an annual contract instead of monthly' or 'I reduce the scope by feature X'),
- SCENARIOS: prepare 2-3 scenarios ('if they ask for 20%, I respond...'). AI as an advisor: simulates negotiations (you = salesperson, AI = a client with tough demands), prepares responses to discount requests, suggests concessions. Rules: never negotiate without BATNA, the first concession is the most expensive (don't give it away for free), negotiate a package, not a point.
Market example
- BAD
- Improvised general pitch lacking buyer context or verified data.
- GOOD
- Client: 'The price is too high. We'll take a 20% discount?'. You (with preparation): 'I understand. A monthly contract is X. I can propose: with an annual commitment the price drops 15%, and the scope keeps the full integration and SLA. Alternatively I can reduce the scope (without the reports module) and the price drops 10%. Which option answers your needs better?'. The client sees the price isn't the only variable, and you don't give away a discount for free. Your BATNA: 'I know 3 other companies are waiting for a quote' (real or not — BATNA is your alternative, not a bluff).
Ready-to-use prompt
You are a B2B negotiator. Context: I sell [PRODUCT]. Price: [X]. Client: [CONTEXT — value from discovery, ROI, objections]. Typical request: [DISCOUNT / TERMS / SCOPE]. Task: Prepare me for negotiation: 1. My BATNA (what I do if there's no deal) — propose 3 alternatives 2. The anchor: what sets the price/value (what to say so we don't start from a discount) 3. Value vs price: how to re-frame the price (return to ROI) — a ready scenario 4. Concessions: 3 'something for something' packages (a discount for a contract/scope/deadline) 5. Scenarios: responses to '20% discount', 'a cheaper competitor', 'final price?' 6. Simulation: play 3 negotiation rounds with me (I = salesperson, You = a tough client) Format: 6 sections.
Model rekomendowany: Claude 3.5 Sonnet / GPT-4o Copy and paste into ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity
ALTERNATYWNE SCENARIUSZE
Variations & alternative scenarios
Small deal version: simple concessions (deadline/scope) without price negotiation.
Large deal version: multi-stage negotiations with procurement and legal.
Practical exercise
Write your BATNA (3 alternatives). Prepare 2 'something for something' concession packages. Play 3 negotiation rounds with AI (you = salesperson, AI = a tough client).
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