How to Ask a Vendor for a Better Price
Added 2026-10-30
Use volume, payment terms and alternatives as leverage instead of just asking for a discount.
I am negotiating price with a supplier. I will give annual volume, current unit price, payment terms, alternatives available, and our lead-time needs. Do: 1) list my four levers, strongest first; 2) write an opener that confirms long-term intent before the ask; 3) prepare three face-saving options (lower price, more volume at same price, better payment terms); 4) flag phrases that would instantly turn this adversarial so I can avoid them.
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
筹码不是「我要便宜」，是「我还能给你什么」。
Try tweaking it
- Have it state how the hypothesis could be falsified before discussing execution.
- Split the plan into a one-week testable experiment.
What you should get
- A small testable experiment with a failure threshold
- Costs, risks, and what needs outside confirmation
Common mistakes
- Asking for a "full business plan" and getting unverifiable optimistic assumptions.
- No failure threshold, so you never know whether to continue.
How to check the output
- There is a clear failure threshold, testable within a week.
- Costs, assumptions and risks are listed separately.
Where it works
- Good for: turning business assumptions into a small testable experiment with a failure threshold first.
- Watch out: for pricing, contracts and legal points, treat output as a draft needing professional review.