Should I discount to close the deal? (small business)

Top picks

Protocol

1. 1

   Paste facts (5–8 min).

   Assemble only what you actually know. Mark gaps [MISSING] / [NEED FACT]. Do not invent rates, BATNA, legal outcomes, or benchmarks. This small-business commercial gate sits before sales-objection-pack-from-notes (reply craft). Not a generic discount email dump. No invented ROI, competitor quotes, or “standard” discount percentages.

   Paths at a glance

   Path	Lean this way when (from your paste)
   A — Hold price	Ask is pressure-only; value is clear; discount would breach your margin floor.
   B — Value-add instead of $ off	You can add a real deliverable/term you already price or can deliver—without inventing free forever.
   C — Small time-boxed discount	You authorize a capped % or $ and an expiry; floor still holds after the cut.
   D — Walk	Buyer needs a price below your floor with no offsetting terms; opportunity cost favors other pipeline.

2. 2

   Lock decision-tree rules (step 2).

   Paste the rules first so the model cannot mint ROI, competitor quotes, or a discount larger than you authorize.

   Copy-paste prompt

   Copy

   Help me run a DISCOUNT-TO-CLOSE decision tree.
   Hard rules:
   - Use ONLY price, margin floor, buyer asks, and value-adds I paste. Do not invent ROI, competitor quotes, or discounts others get.
   - Paths: Path A Hold price / Path B Value-add instead of $ off / Path C Small time-boxed discount / Path D Walk.
   - If Path C, use only the max $/% and expiry I authorize—never enlarge them.
   - Optional reply wording ONLY after I choose a path.
   - Not legal or pricing-regulation advice. I decide.
   Confirm in one sentence, then wait for my pack.

3. 3

   Fill pack (step 3a) and generate (step 3b).

   Paste the pack, then send the generate command. The model must not pick a path for you.

   Paste pack

   Copy

   DEAL / OFFER SUMMARY: [ ]
   LIST / QUOTED PRICE: [ ]
   MY MARGIN FLOOR (or fully loaded cost + minimum): [or NEED FACT]
   BUYER ASK (exact words if possible): [ ]
   BUYER CONSTRAINTS THEY STATED (budget cycle, must-have date): [or MISSING]
   COMPETITOR PRICE CLAIMS—only if verified by me: [or NONE—do not invent]
   VALUE-ADDS I CAN ACTUALLY DELIVER: [or NONE]
   MAX DISCOUNT $ OR % I AUTHORIZE IF ANY: [or NONE]
   EXPIRY / CONDITIONS I REQUIRE: [ ]
   PIPELINE ALTERNATIVE IF I WALK: [or MISSING]

   After you send the filled pack, copy the Generate command in the next box and paste it into the SAME chat so the AI runs the decision tree / produces the output.

   Generate command — copy and send this next (same chat)

   Copy

   Build the decision tree now:
   1) Facts vs [MISSING]
   2) Scorecard table: Criterion | My fact | Lean (+/0/− or NEED FACT) | Note
   3) Path A Hold price / Path B Value-add / Path C Small time-boxed discount / Path D Walk — for each: when it fits, what must be true from my pack, 3 owner-verify bullets
   4) Do NOT pick for me. Do not invent facts.

4. 4

   Choose a path (step 4); optional wording.

   Only after you pick a labeled path. Owner-verify: facts still match your pack; [MISSING] gaps filled or accepted; any sendable wording uses only terms you authorize.

   Path wording

   Copy

   I chose Path [A/B/C/D]. Draft a short buyer-facing reply for that path only.
   Use only prices, value-adds, %/$, and dates I authorize. No invented competitor matching. Mark [NEED FACT].

5. 5

   Second-model check (step 5).

   In the other tool, paste the tree or reply plus your pack:

   Second-model check

   Copy

   Here is a discount-to-close tree / reply from another assistant plus my pack.
   Find: (1) discount larger than I authorized, (2) invented competitor or ROI claims, (3) value-adds I cannot deliver, (4) tone that caves or threatens without my OK.
   Return only corrections.

6. 6

   Human decide and act (step 6).

   Pick one path. Fill [NEED FACT] gaps from real sources. Send or implement yourself—AI drafts are not approvals, contracts, classifications, or tax elections. After the commercial path is chosen, use the sales-objection how-to for reply craft.

When not to

• Do not invent competitor prices, ROI, or “standard” discount percentages.
• Regulated pricing or contract MFNs—use counsel.
• Skip if you do not know your margin floor—calculate that first.
• Not a substitute for objection-script recipes after the commercial path is chosen.