Phil Risher explains why dropping prices when customers push back backfires. He uses the classic constraint: good, fast, cheap, pick two. Ask customers which they actually want instead of automatically discounting, and you shift the negotiation back in your favor.
If you're dropping your price every time a customer pushes back, you're solving the wrong problem. Every buyer wants 3 things: good, fast, and cheap. But you only ever get 2, and it's a real constraint. But it works to your advantage when you're at your customer's home. Let's say the customer says, can you do it for less? And a lot of times people panic and they take 20% off. Now you're working harder for less money, and they still aren't happy. But if you flip it and you ask, what matters more, cheap, fast, or good? You can watch their face change. They already know the answer. So the next time you get a price pushback at a customer's home, don't flinch. Say the exact line. Would you rather save money or get it done right and on time? And then you can go quiet and let that sit in. They'll pick quality every single time, and now you set the terms.
