Online Sellers: 7 Polite Ways to Tell a Buyer They Can’t Get an Additional Discount

Everyone who has every sold anything has been asked to sell the item for less than the advertised price. This can often be a huge source of frustration for the seller because the price the potential buyer is asking for is often less than the amount the seller paid for the inventory. I can't even count the amount of times people have contacted us an said "The Victorias Secret bras on your site are $12.99 per piece.  If you drop the price to $5 or less I'll buy 10,000 pieces"  - Ok and if you bought 10,000 of them at only $5 each our company would LOSE over $5,500 on the sale!  We can't pay someone to take our merchandise! 

So here’s 7 ways to say “HECK NO” in a polite way that won’t kill the sale:

1. REMIND THEM OF THE DISCOUNT THEY ARE ALREADY GETTING: I am not able to provide an additional discount but keep in mind that this sweater retails for $120 and it is priced at only $40, so you’re already scoring massive savings!  Woo hoo! 

2. HIGHLIGHT ADDITIONAL FEATURES: I cannot take additional money off however I ship fast, for free and all orders are packaged beautifully. Thanks for your inquiry!

3. USE A CORPORATE RESPONSE: I’m sorry but at this time I do not have a discounting program / coupon codes or Best Offers available however this is something we can consider for the future. Thanks for the suggestion!

4. REDIRECT: If you’re looking for a $20 sweater, I have this one available: (provide link to $20 Sweater)

5. PROMOTE THE PRODUCT: Thanks for your question! This is an authentic $120 Juicy Couture Sweater made from a super soft and cozy wool blend... and it is priced at only $40 + free next day shipping. I know you’ll love it and $40 is a steal for this beauty!

6. GIVE THEM SOMETHING ELSE: *This method requires you to have some form of freebies for your buyer. Freebies can be anything from products you have sh*t tons of to stuff that just hasn’t been a hot seller for you or merchandise you buy with the intention of giving it away as an upsell. For example, you can say to the buyer:

I am not able to offer an additional discount on this gorgeous sweater but I can throw in a free chapstick for you. Just place the order and contact me after and I’ll add it in!

The Chapstick (or whatever it is) cost you $1 or less. So adding it in for free is a much better deal for YOU than giving the buyer an additional $5 or $10 off the product. Even if the free item cost you $3, it is still better than giving $5 off.

7. UPSELL IT: If you buy 3 of the Juicy Couture sweaters I have listed I can give you 10% off the purchase 

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