This same conversation occurs hundreds of times, all around the world every year!
“A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.”
– Mark Twain
It was December 27, and I was working in my office when the phone rang.
I picked it up and said, “Good morning…?”
The voice on the other end greeted me saying, “Hi, this is ___ with ___. I want to check in with you regarding your interest in our software. Did you receive our proposal?”
“Yes,” I responded. “It’s a thing of beauty.”
“Great,” he said. “Is there anything else you need?”
I answered, “Well, not that I can think of…”
He tried another tactic, “Have any of the vendors been eliminated?”
“Absolutely,” I replied, “but you’re lookin’ good…!”
“Are you close to a decision?”
“Definitely!” was my response.
He pivoted slightly, “Should I be optimistic?”
“Certainly – as I said, you guys are lookin’ good...!"
He grew more direct, “Can we close this before the end of the quarter?”
I replied, “I don’t see why not…”
Sounding slightly relieved, he asked, “Is there anything you need to move this forward?”
“Well, nothing that I can think of,” I said, “but perhaps you might have some ideas…?”
He hesitated and then the words I’d been waiting for came tumbling out, “Would a discount help?”
I smiled and replied encouragingly, “Yes, I believe so…!”
He offered, “How about a five percent discount, then, on the software…?”
I rapped my phone on my desk and then picked it up again, responding, “I’m sorry; must have been a bad connection!”
He got the hint and tried again, “How about ten percent?”
I said, “Deeper, deeper…”
“Twenty percent?” He asked, timidly.
I replied, “Make it a twenty-five percent discount on the software plus free training and you’ve got a deal!”
Relieved, he said, “OK, I’ll send over an updated proposal shortly…”
Moral: Your prospect’s Critical Date is not YOUR end of quarter.
You’ll find more stories like this in “Suspending Disbelief” here!
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