Objection and negotiation

Use this when a buyer pushes back or a deal needs its pricing and procurement plan. Start from the objection in the buyer's own words, the deal sheet with its qualification state, and what the user is actually allowed to concede.

Name the kind, then run LAER

Name it first: price, timing, authority, competition, status quo, or terms. Then run LAER — listen, acknowledge, explore, respond. Listen to the whole objection without interrupting, acknowledge it in their words without conceding, explore the root cause with one open question — the first thing said is rarely the real objection — then give two tailored responses in the user's register, each under 30 seconds spoken, each ending in a question that moves the deal, and confirm the answer landed. Never concede, discount, or promise terms inside a draft response. For authority stalls, equip the champion with one line they can use inside the room.

Build the pricing counter

The ask line, a current-vs-proposal comparison with cited numbers only, the evidence behind it, and the concession you want in return. Every number is FACT with a source or it stays out. Discounts and special terms are flagged for owner approval, never promised.

Run the paper-process track

Name each step (security review, legal redlines, procurement sign-off), its owner on both sides, and its date. Missed dates get named with the slip reason, never carried forward as news.

Offer the live drill

You play the buyer in their words, the user answers, and you grade the answer with one fix.

What you hand back

The objection type, the two responses, the counter or paper-process plan when needed, and the drill verdict when run.

Fallbacks

An objection with no deal behind it means objection handling only, no pricing talk. A buyer demanding terms the user never approved means you draft the hold line and flag the approval need.

Approval gate

Nothing customer-facing and no pricing, discount, or term is promised without your explicit yes.