Do You Feel Like You Have to Discount Just to Make the Sale?
Let’s start with an uncomfortable truth.
If you feel like you have to sell your product or service below the company’s posted rate…
The problem probably isn’t the price.
And it definitely isn’t the product.
According to SELLability, unnecessary discounting is almost never a pricing issue.
It’s a certainty issue.
Why Discounting Feels “Necessary” in the Moment
Salespeople don’t wake up excited to cut price.
They discount because:
- The prospect hesitates
- The conversation feels unstable
- The close feels shaky
- They want to “keep things moving”
Discounting feels like relief.
For about five seconds.
Then it creates:
- Lower commissions
- Less respect from the buyer
- A precedent that’s hard to undo
- And a lingering feeling of “I gave too much away”
SELLability teaches that when price becomes the focus, something earlier in the sales process was missed.
The Big Myth About Price Objections
Most salespeople believe:
“If the price were lower, they’d buy.”
That’s rarely true.
If price were the real issue:
- Everyone would buy the cheapest option
- Premium brands wouldn’t exist
- Luxury markets would collapse
Price objections usually mean one of three things:
- The value wasn’t fully understood
- The prospect doesn’t feel certain yet
- Agreement was never truly gained
Discounting doesn’t fix any of those.
It just masks them.
Where the Breakdown Really Happens
SELLability is very clear on this point:
Price resistance shows up when agreement is missing earlier in the process.
Common breakdowns include:
- Rushing past the interview
- Assuming the problem instead of confirming it
- Presenting features instead of relevance
- Educating before qualifying
- Trying to close without clear agreement
When the prospect isn’t fully aligned on:
- The problem
- The impact
- The urgency
- The solution
Price becomes the safest place for them to push back.
Why Discounting Actually Makes Selling Harder
Here’s the ironic part.
When you discount:
- The buyer questions the real value
- Trust subtly decreases
- The decision feels less solid
- Future objections increase
You may win the sale…
but you lose authority.
And authority, not persuasion, is what closes deals cleanly.
SELLability’s Rule on Price
SELLability does not say “never discount.”
It says:
Never discount to compensate for uncertainty.
Price flexibility should only come after:
- The prospect fully understands the value
- Agreement has been gained
- The decision is clear
- And the only remaining variable is structure or timing
If price is used to create agreement, the sale is already unstable.
The Question to Ask Yourself Before Discounting
Before you lower the price, ask this:
“Have I achieved the correct end result at each step of the sales process?”
If the honest answer is “I’m not sure”…
Lowering the price won’t fix that.
Clarity will.
What Top Performers Do Differently
Top performers don’t fight price objections.
They prevent them.
They:
- Spend more time understanding the prospect
- Slow down the interview
- Confirm impact and urgency
- Gain agreement before presenting
- Stay calm when resistance appears
Because confidence is contagious.
When the salesperson is certain, the buyer feels safer being certain too.
Final SELLability Insight
If you feel pressure to discount, pause.
Don’t change the price.
Change the conversation.
SELLability teaches that price integrity is not about stubbornness.
It’s about leadership.
When you lead the process correctly:
- Price feels justified
- Decisions feel clean
- Discounts become rare
- And sales feel professional, not forced
You don’t need to sell cheaper.
You need to sell clearer.
And that’s how professionals protect value, and still close deals.
