In today’s edition, we’re talking about urgency… and more importantly, how to create it without immediately reaching for a discount when things get uncomfortable.
People love a deal. That’s never going to change.
If a buyer thinks there’s even a small chance they can get what you’re offering for less, they’ll usually take that opportunity. Not because they’re difficult, but because it’s human nature.
The problem is what happens when you give in.
Because the moment you drop your price to “get it over the line,” you’re not just winning a deal, you’re setting a precedent. You’re showing the buyer that your pricing is flexible and, more importantly, that pressure works on you.
That’s a tough position to recover from.
The Reasons for the Urgency?
It’s worth asking yourself a slightly uncomfortable question here…
Why do you feel the need to discount in the first place?
Is it genuinely because the price is wrong?
Or is it because you need the deal more than they do right now?
Targets, deadlines, pipeline pressure… it creeps in quickly. And before you know it, you’re trying to solve your urgency problem with their wallet.
But here’s the reality—your timeline and their timeline are rarely the same.
And when you try to force urgency through price, it usually backfires.
How to Create Urgency
So if discounting isn’t the answer, what is?
It starts with understanding, not pushing.
When you take the time to really uncover what’s going on for the buyer (the real problem, not just the surface-level version) they begin to feel understood. And when that happens, conversations move forward more naturally.
From there, you need clarity on timing. When do they actually want to solve this? If it’s not a priority for them now, dropping your price won’t magically make it one.
You can also introduce urgency through real constraints:
your availability,
your capacity, or
timelines that exist regardless of price.
These are far more credible and far more effective.
And then there’s the most important piece…
Helping them understand the cost of doing nothing.
What happens if they wait? What continues to frustrate them? What gets worse?
When that becomes clear in their mind, urgency no longer needs to be manufactured.
Your Rates Are There for a Reason
I was talking about this on a podcast recently using the example of flights.
You don’t negotiate with an airline. The price is the price.
You either see the value in that seat, at that time, for that journey… or you don’t. And that’s exactly how your service should be positioned.
Because the moment you introduce a discount at the point of decision, whether you realise it or not, you’re sending a signal that your original price wasn’t solid.
It doesn’t build trust. It raises questions.
Your pricing exists for a reason. It reflects the value you deliver, the work that goes in, and the outcomes you create.
And if you don’t stand behind it, why should anyone else?
So next time you feel that pull to “just drop it slightly” to get the deal done…
Pause.
Go back to the problem. The impact. The consequence of waiting.
That’s where real urgency lives.
Have a brilliant sales week ahead, and remember: Eat or be eaten.
