Sales Intermediate 17 min

Negotiation preparation — knowing your walk-away before you open your mouth

The problem

Your supplier wants a 9% increase. You want zero. You meet, argue, and settle at 6% because it felt like a reasonable midpoint.

The workflow
1Compute the walk-away
2Price the alternatives
3Map their constraints
4List tradeable variables
5Prepare the trades
6Rehearse hard moments
7Negotiate
Record what happened

What you need

Negotiation: supplier Kaveri wants ₹89/kg, up from ₹82. I want: hold at ₹82, accept up to ₹86.

The tool

Any assistant, with your real numbers

The prompt

Subscribers. The full prompt is part of the SMEMinds AI Playbook. See plans.

What comes back

1. WALK-AWAY — Your alternative is the ₹86 vendor, but untried.

Verify before you use it

Human review required. Check every line below before this leaves your screen.
  • The ₹2/kg quality-risk estimate is your judgement. Test it — if the real figure is ₹4, your walk-away is ₹90 and the whole negotiation changes.
  • Verify the lost-customer information before relying on it. Acting on a rumour is a real risk here.
  • Check whether 15-day payment genuinely costs you little. If cash is tight (Lesson 10.3), this trade is expensive and should not lead.
  • The 'do not say' list is the discipline. Under pressure the temptation to mention the ₹86 quote is strong and it is the fastest way to lose the trade.