Why the Best Reps Let Their Manager Be the Bad Guy

Good Morning. April Fool's Day is over. Back to regular programming on social media. LinkedIn is once again filled with people being "excited to announce" things and "grateful for the journey." At least yesterday, you knew the posts were fake. Today, you just have to guess. Now, let's get into today's Follow Up. (:

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Six words that both sales reps & prospects love: "Let me see what I can do."

If you sell something and tell me you’ve never said that, I don’t believe you.

It’s usually when your prospect asks for a discount. You could say no. You could say yes. Or you could use it to your advantage and turn yourself into their ally.

You tell them you'll go to bat for them internally, fight for a better price, and see what you can pull off.

Now you're on their side of the table. And your manager becomes the ‘bad cop’.

But this can be a dangerous game if you approach it wrong.

So today, we’re giving you the guide to using this strategy correctly.

This is a version of the oldest negotiation strategy in the book. Good cop, bad cop.

But it’s easy to mess this up.

A study from Duke and INSEAD found that this tactic only works in one direction. The "bad cop" has to come first. Then the "good cop" follows with flexibility and warmth.

If you start with the good cop first, the whole thing falls apart.

In sales, this usually translates to negotiating the pricing or terms.

The pricing conversation happens, and your prospect pushes back. Then you step in as the good cop who goes back to the team, fights for a discount, and comes back with something to make the deal better for them.

The key is that your prospect needs to feel the resistance before you offer them something better.

Research from Corporate Visions found that only 23% of pricing objections are actually about budget. The other 77% are about something deeper or psychological for the prospect.

It could be that they're not sold on the value, or nervous about implementation, or want to feel like they got a win before they sign.

That last one is the most common, and you’ve probably done it yourself. I know I have.

When I find something I want on Facebook marketplace, I’m always going to ask for a discount. Even if the price already seems fair. It’s all about ‘feeling’ like you got a win.

Most B2B buyers aren't trying to squeeze you for every dollar. They just want to walk back to their team and say they negotiated and got something.

Remember: in most cases, the only thing they care about is looking good to their boss.

Robert Cialdini's research on reciprocal concessions found that when someone makes a request, gets turned down, and then comes back with a smaller ask, compliance jumps from 17% to 50%. Nearly three times higher.

In simple terms: your prospect asks for a 30% discount. You say you can't do that. You come back two days later with 5% off and a waived setup fee. Because you already said no to the big ask, that small concession feels like a win. Your prospect feels like they pushed, you listened, and they got a win.

In deal negotiation, this works both ways. You bring the initial price. They push back. You return with a small adjustment and frame it as something you personally fought for. The prospect feels taken care of. They reciprocate by moving forward.

You don't need to give away the farm. An extra % point, extended payment terms, or a waived onboarding fee. The act of making a concession is what’s most important.

Today’s newsletter was written by Nic Conley