Fearless in practice. Mindset is a skill, and skills are trained. Six moments come up with a client, and these are the first four. Read each fearful answer, then say the ORIGIN answer out loud until it feels natural.
When they push on price
The fearful answer is often the polite first answer, which is why it needs practice.
A client says: "Another firm quoted us half your price." Which is the ORIGIN answer?
Matching it is the fearful answer. Half the price is a different offer, so compare the two.
Two moments about price
Who gives the ORIGIN answer
These are ORIGIN's answers. Who gives each one depends on the decision behind it.
A price is never yours to give. Prices, contracts and money need someone's yes first, and Act 07 lists them.
PMO decides what is inside the scope, which is what the client agreed to buy.
If the decision is not yours, thank the client and bring it to your Team Lead.
Act 05 explains why we keep our price.
Our price reflects one partner answering for the whole result. A price is never yours to give.
When they push on what was agreed
The client pays late, then asks for the next phase. Which is the ORIGIN answer?
Silence when a client breaks a payment schedule is the sound of fear. More time to pay is not yours to give.
Two moments about the agreed work
To absorb it means to do the extra work for nothing. The ORIGIN answer is not "that was not in scope", which we never say: it starts with yes. PMO decides the scope, and a quote is a price, so it needs someone's yes first.
A late payment goes to your Team Lead too. PMO owns collection: making sure the work we delivered is paid for.
Extra work gets a short quote. The schedule we both signed protects the client's timeline too.
Before you move on
Three questions before you move on. Type your answer, send it, then check it.
Your answers stay on this device.1A client asks for a discount. What is the ORIGIN answer, and is a price yours to give?
The answer"Our price reflects one partner answering for the whole result. What we can do is start with a smaller first step." A price is never yours to give: it needs someone's yes first.
2A client asks for something outside what was agreed. Who decides, and what do you do?
The answerPMO decides what is inside the scope. Thank the client and bring it to your Team Lead.
3The client pays late and asks for the next phase. What is the ORIGIN answer?
The answer"The schedule we both signed protects your timeline too. Shall I resend the invoice to the right person?"
Hold a price. Protect what was agreed.
Next: fearless in practice, speaking up.