Nick could feel the sale slipping toward the finish line.
The prospect was close. He could see it in her body language. Her eyes moved from her hand to the parking lot outside the window as if she were weighing two futures in her mind. Stay and buy, or walk away.
Sensing hesitation, Nick did what many salespeople instinctively do. He tried to push it across the line.
“If you decide to buy today,” he said, “I think I can talk my manager into giving you an additional discount.”
That comment shifted the entire negotiation.
The prospect looked up and asked how much. Nick offered $2,000. She countered with $3,500. They landed at $3,000 off, and she agreed to move forward.
On the surface, it looked like a win. Nick would likely secure the deal, climb to the top of the monthly leaderboard, and collect a $500 bonus.
But he had quietly sacrificed thousands in commission without ever confirming whether a discount was necessary in the first place.
The real question is not whether $3,000 was too much.
The real question is this: who gave up first?
The Silent Moment That Changes Everything
In many sales environments, especially competitive markets like Austin, Toronto, or other fast moving metro areas, discounting becomes habitual. Salespeople anticipate objections before they appear. They rush to remove friction before friction is clearly expressed.
What Nick encountered was not an objection. It was hesitation.
Hesitation is natural when someone is about to make a financial commitment. It does not automatically signal that price is the issue. It signals that the prospect is thinking.
By offering a discount preemptively, Nick assumed the reason for her pause. He negotiated against himself. In doing so, he transferred control of the conversation to the buyer.
The prospect did not force a concession. Nick volunteered it.
This is where many sales professionals lose margin, not because buyers are aggressive negotiators, but because sellers are uncomfortable with silence.
Fear Disguised as Service
Why do salespeople speak first in these moments?
Usually it is not strategy. It is fear.
Fear that the prospect will walk out.
Fear of missing quota.
Fear of losing the contest.
Fear of losing momentum.
Those fears feel urgent, and urgency often drives concessions.
Ironically, the silence Nick tried to eliminate was working in his favor. The prospect was still in the room. She was still engaged. She had not objected to price. She had not demanded a discount.
When sellers rush to fill space, they often give up leverage before knowing whether leverage was required.
The prospect in this scenario became the stronger negotiator, not because she was more skilled, but because she was more patient.
What This Means for Sales Leaders
If you lead a sales team, this is not simply an individual coaching moment. It is a systems issue.
What behaviors are your incentives reinforcing? If leaderboard rankings reward number of deals instead of profitability, you may unintentionally encourage premature discounting.
Are managers teaching negotiation discipline, or are they rewarding quick closes at any cost?
Are salespeople trained to sit in silence and gather information before conceding, or are they trained to “overcome objections” immediately?
Revenue growth without margin discipline is fragile. Protecting profitability requires emotional control, self awareness, and structured negotiation skills.
A Different Approach to the Same Situation
Imagine if Nick had paused instead of offering a discount.
The silence might have stretched for a few seconds. It might have felt uncomfortable. Eventually, the prospect would have spoken.
If she asked directly for a concession, Nick could then have explored the reasoning behind it.
“What specifically is driving that concern?”
“Is price the only remaining issue?”
“If everything else meets your expectations, what would prevent you from moving forward?”
Those questions would have provided clarity before any concession was discussed.
Discounting is not inherently wrong. Strategic trade offs can be powerful when tied to commitments, timelines, or volume. The key difference is whether the concession is reactive or intentional.
Nick’s was reactive.
Behavioral Awareness Matters
This is where understanding behavioral styles becomes critical.
Different buyer personalities express hesitation differently. A dominant buyer may challenge price directly. An analytical buyer may pause while reviewing numbers. A relationship oriented buyer may hesitate out of uncertainty rather than cost.
Without awareness of behavioral patterns, salespeople misinterpret normal decision processing as resistance.
When teams understand DISC behavioral styles, they become better at reading signals accurately and holding position appropriately. They learn when to lean in, when to question, and when to wait.
That discipline strengthens both close rates and margin protection.
The Hard Question
Prospects have been conditioning salespeople to give up margin for decades.
Are you going to continue helping them do it?
If your team regularly discounts early, it may not be a pricing problem. It may be a mindset and process problem.
Strengthening negotiation posture begins with behavioral awareness and structured sales discipline.
If you want your team to better understand buyer behavior, communicate strategically, and hold position without damaging rapport, download the Sandler resource:
5 Secrets to Sales Success Using DISC
This guide will help your team recognize behavioral styles, adjust communication effectively, and protect profitability in high pressure sales situations.
Sometimes the most profitable move in sales is saying nothing at all.