Hey Niepodam,

I was reviewing a late-stage enterprise deal in the client's CRM.

Everything looked perfect.

• Multi-threaded.
• Clear pain.
• Budget confirmed.
• Champion strong.

Then I saw the proposal amount: $140K.

I asked the rep, “How’d you land on that number?”

He said, “It felt fair.”

Felt fair.

That’s how you lose six figures without realizing it.

The Real Problem

In complex deals, most reps price based on:

• What the champion hinted at
• What similar customers pay
• What feels “safe”

Not on maximum defensible value.

So when procurement pushes?
There’s nowhere to go.

You already started in the middle.

What We Did Next

We rebuilt the pricing from scratch.

Not from budget.
From impact.

On discovery, the buyer said:

• Delays were costing ~$1.2M annually
• Manual workflows were burning 3 FTEs
• Expansion depended on solving this

Conservative modeled impact: $600–800K per year.

So I asked him: “If this truly drives even $500K in value, why are we anchoring at $140K?”

Silence.

We reframed.

The Re-Anchor Strategy

Next call, he said: “Given the scale across 6 business units and the revenue impact you outlined, most customers at this level invest between $220K and $260K annually.”

That was the new frame.

Not a random high number. A value bracket.

Buyer response: “That’s higher than expected.”

Good.

Now we’re negotiating in the right neighborhood.

We finalized at $205K.

Same deal.
Different anchor.
+$65K swing.

The Tactical Formula for High Anchors

In complex deals, use this:

1. Quantify the business problem: “You mentioned this is costing roughly $X per year…”
2. Establish implementation scope: Users, regions, integrations, support level.
3. Present a confident range: “At this scope, companies typically invest between $X–$Y annually.”
4. Shut up.

Let them react.

If they counter? You trade on structure (term length, payment timing, expansion).

But you never apologize for the number.

The Mindset Shift

High anchors aren’t about ego.

They’re about alignment.

If your solution genuinely drives strategic impact, your pricing should reflect strategic weight.

Otherwise, you signal tactical value.

And tactical budgets get cut first.

Want me helping you and your team within your sales efforts? Let’s talk.

Or book me here directly for a Free Strategy Call

Or get the Modern Seller at 60% off now before it's gone.

Alan "Modern Seller" Ruchtein.

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