Write a negotiation response to the message or request below. [COUNTERPART AND RELATIONSHIP] [THEIR MESSAGE OR REQUEST] [CURRENT OFFER OR AGREEMENT] [MY APPROVED OPTIONS AND LIMITS] [DESIRED NEXT STEP] Produce one email of 180-260 words, followed by a brief internal “negotiation notes” section with: requests accepted, requests declined, open questions, and the next commitment needed from the counterparty. Use a [TONE] tone. Start by accurately acknowledging their stated concern or goal. Then respond point by point only where I have enough information and authority. Use a clear structure: acknowledge; confirm shared value or objective only if supported by the inputs; state what I can offer; explain any limit without defensiveness or invented policy; present a conditional tradeoff when an approved option exists; and close with one concrete next step, named owner, and proposed date or meeting. Do not accept a price, term, service level, liability position, payment schedule, exclusivity clause, termination right, or other commitment unless it is explicitly authorized in my inputs. Do not claim approval is pending if it is not. Do not use false scarcity, artificial deadlines, vague phrases such as “we will try,” or unsupported ROI claims. If their request cannot be accepted, preserve the relationship by offering an authorized path forward or a focused question. Before answering, check that every commitment maps to an approved option. Flag ambiguities that could change commercial, legal, or delivery obligations. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [COUNTERPART AND RELATIONSHIP] | Enter the recipient’s name, role, relationship stage, and the tone needed for the relationship. | Daniel Ortiz, Procurement Director at an existing customer; collaborative relationship, but this is a formal renewal negotiation. |
| [THEIR MESSAGE OR REQUEST] | Paste or summarize the counteroffer, objection, or terms they requested. | Daniel asked for a 12% price reduction, net-60 payment terms, and a 30-day termination for convenience right because their budget is under pressure. |
| [CURRENT OFFER OR AGREEMENT] | Enter the current price, scope, term, payment, and relevant contractual position. | Renewal proposal is $84,000 for 12 months, annual prepaid, with current support and analytics scope. |
| [MY APPROVED OPTIONS AND LIMITS] | Enter the exact concessions, tradeoffs, and non-negotiable terms you are authorized to use. | Can offer $79,800 for a 24-month commitment or keep $84,000 with quarterly payments. Cannot offer termination for convenience or reduce scope-specific service levels. |
| [DESIRED NEXT STEP] | Enter the action you want next, such as a call, revised order form, or internal approval. | A 20-minute call next week to choose a renewal structure, followed by a revised order form. |
| [TONE] | Enter a tone such as collaborative and firm, direct, or formal. | Collaborative, concise, and firm on contractual limits. |
How to use
- Paste the counterparty’s actual words, then list only concessions that are currently approved.
- Check the draft’s commitments against your pricing, legal, delivery, and approval authority before sending.
- Replace any proposed date with one you can actually meet and ensure the requested next step has an owner.
- Follow up with: “Create a shorter 120-word version for a procurement portal message.”
Variations
Price objection
Use this when the counterparty asks for a discount.
Draft a 150-220 word reply to [RECIPIENT] about their request for [DISCOUNT OR PRICE]. The current offer is [CURRENT OFFER]. I may offer [AUTHORIZED TRADEOFFS] but cannot go below [LIMIT]. Explain the available tradeoff without disclosing internal margins or negotiating against myself. Use a [TONE] tone and ask for [NEXT ACTION]. Include an internal note identifying each commercial commitment made. Flag any claim about savings, value, or competitor pricing not supported by my inputs.
Contract redline
Use this when responding to a contractual term request that needs a careful boundary.
Write a response to [RECIPIENT] about their requested change to [CONTRACT CLAUSE]. Their rationale is [RATIONALE]. Our approved position is [APPROVED POSITION], and acceptable fallback language or process is [FALLBACK]. Keep the email under 220 words, acknowledge the underlying concern, state the position without legal conclusions beyond my input, and propose [NEXT STEP]. Do not imply that legal has approved language unless stated. Flag any issue requiring counsel review.
Post-call recap
Use this after a negotiation call to document the provisional path.
Write a 180-word negotiation recap email to [RECIPIENTS] after our discussion of [DEAL]. Confirm only these points: [CONFIRMED POINTS]. List unresolved items as [OPEN ITEMS], with owners and dates from [ACTION PLAN]. Use a [TONE] tone. Do not characterize discussion as agreement where approval or signature is still required. End by stating the next document or meeting. Check that no unresolved price, term, or legal point is accidentally presented as final.
Tips
- Mirror the counterparty’s stated business concern before proposing a trade; it shows you heard the problem without conceding the requested remedy.
- Tie every concession to a reciprocal condition, such as a longer term, different payment schedule, or reduced scope, and state the condition in the same sentence.
- Keep a private record of verbal agreements, open terms, and who can approve them; polished email language is not a substitute for a deal record.
- Do not explain internal economics, approval politics, or fallback positions unless disclosure is part of an approved strategy.
FAQ
Should a negotiation response include a counteroffer?
Include one when you have an approved tradeoff. If you do not, acknowledge the request, state the limit, and ask a question that identifies an acceptable path.
Can AI respond to contract terms?
It can draft a business response, but legal language and risk positions should be reviewed by counsel or the authorized contract owner.
How do I avoid accidentally agreeing by email?
Use precise wording such as “we can propose” or “subject to the revised order form,” and list any remaining approvals or documents.