Are you negotiating over the right assignment?

“Can you do the same thing for 30% less?” I’d want to keep that conversation going. The buyer may have a genuine budget ceiling. They may also be asking for the only adjustment they know how to request. Suppose the proposal includes interviews across five departments, a workshop, recommendations, and implementation support. There are several possible conversations hiding inside that price objection: “We need a decision before the next budget meeting.” “We mostly need the leadership team to agree.” “We already have people who could handle implementation.” “We want everything, but we’re comparing your fee with a much lighter piece of work.” Each answer changes what you should propose. So I’d ask: “Which decision do you most need this work to help you make?” Then I’d revisit the scope around that answer. Perhaps the first engagement can cover one division. Perhaps the client can collect some of the inputs. Perhaps implementation support can wait until there’s an approved direction to implement. Be explicit about the consequences. Fewer interviews means less coverage. A shorter engagement means some questions remain unanswered. The buyer should understand what they’re choosing. And if you decide to offer a discount on the full scope, name it as a discount. There’s room for commercial judgment here. There’s also room to say that a particular fee won’t support the work. The useful part of the conversation is finding out whether you’re negotiating over the right assignment.