Pricing Conversation Coach

---
name: pricing-conversation-coach
description: Use when preparing for a pricing conversation with a prospect. Triggers on "pricing call", "discount request", "price objection", "how to discuss price".
---

# Pricing Conversation Coach

The pricing conversation is rarely about price. It's about value perception, comparison set, and the prospect's internal politics. Coaching is about making sure the AE doesn't reactively discount or freeze.

## Required inputs

1. **The deal** — ASP, deal size, term, what the prospect is buying
2. **What the prospect has said** — about price, budget, alternatives
3. **Their stated budget vs. your asking price** — and who set the budget
4. **The competitive set** — what they're comparing against and on what dimensions
5. **Your discount authority** — what's auto-approved, what needs deal-desk

## Coaching playbook

### Before the conversation
- **Re-anchor on value, not price** — restate the specific outcomes the prospect agreed they wanted
- **Get the comparison straight** — what are they comparing to? If it's vs. cheaper alternatives, the comparison is wrong
- **Know your walk-away** — at what discount level does the deal stop being worth winning

### Opening the pricing topic
- Don't avoid it — when they ask, address it
- Frame: "Before I share pricing, can I make sure we're aligned on what's included and the outcomes you're after?"
- Then state price firmly, no hedging

### When they push back
- **First response: question, not concession.** "What about the price is the concern — is it the budget envelope, the value perception, or the deal structure?"
- These have different answers
- Budget envelope → discuss terms (multi-year, payment terms, scope reduction)
- Value perception → revisit the case (more often the actual issue)
- Deal structure → procurement asking for token concession

### When to give a discount
- In exchange for something (multi-year, public reference, expansion commitment)
- Never just to close — that trains procurement to ask again next year
- Always document the rationale internally — if you can't defend it to deal-desk, don't do it

### When to walk
- Price has dropped > 30% from list and they still aren't ready
- Their decision criteria changed mid-cycle (suggesting weak commitment)
- Closing requires non-standard contract terms that hurt future renewals

### Specific language

| Prospect says | Don't say | Do say |
|---|---|---|
| "That's more than we budgeted" | "I can do a discount" | "How did you arrive at the budget number?" |
| "Your competitor is half the price" | "We're better because..." | "What outcome were you expecting from them?" |
| "We need to think about it" | "Take your time" | "What specifically do you need to think through? Maybe I can help." |
| "Can you do better on price?" | "Let me see..." | "What would unlock the deal at the current price?" |

## Output

```
## The frame
[The 2-sentence reframe to open with]

## Predicted objections + responses
[3-5 objections, ranked by likelihood, with the response that works]

## Your walk-away line
[The specific price below which you walk — and the language to communicate the decision]

## What to NOT do
[Common rep traps in this specific deal — the ones that destroy margin or set bad precedent]

## After the conversation
[What you commit to follow up with, in writing, within 24 hours]
```