5 ms·
I worked for a consultancy. There was once we have to raise the price for the next year since the labor cost was booming in our country. We worked for the clien
by namelosw 5y ago
I worked for a consultancy. There was once we have to raise the price for the next year since the labor cost was booming in our country. We worked for the client for quite some years. He was an intelligent, elegant old man, who overcame a lot of difficulties and power struggles, then created the impressive business.
It's of course a hard conversation to go through, but we didn't expect what we're facing. I'm glad I'm not there but here's what happened according to the participants:
Before he was entering the meeting room, he was smiling and greeting team members in our office, just like any grandpa. During the meeting, our manager first did some small talk, then told him we have to raise the price. The next second he was outrageous, start cursing loudly and slamming things. Everybody was so scared, and the meeting was an immediate failure as he successfully low-balled us in the following rounds with nobody daring to object. The second he walked out of the meeting room, he was the same kind grandpa again, smiling and talking to the team members like nothing just happened.
We then realized it was his tactic, but it's effective nonetheless. I rather not work with rude/manipulative people like that, but sometimes people just hide things too well, I guess I'll never know.
- hvidgaard 5y agoI think there is another possibility of knowing the value your product gives the customer compared to the competition. Stay firm on that unless the client is essential for your budget. Once a man like that learn that you are not easily manipulated, he either stops being unreasonable, or he doubles down and gladly spend more money on an similar or even inferior product. In the latter case you did not want his business long term anyway, unless you had to.
- progmetaldev 5y agoWhen I was in sales, I found that these older gentlemen try to strong arm you, but if you push back and don't back down, you generally earn their respect and they still go with you. They want someone to push back, while still giving them what they need. It seems to just be that generation.
- pc86 5y agoSo shocking and disappointing that this childish behavior would be rewarded like this. I would have immediately lost all respect for my superiors for not firing him as a client and forcefully removing him from the premises.
- ttymck 5y agoIt would appear, based on the outcome, that your company didn't "have" to raise the price after all. If that were the case, the outcome would have been price hike or firing the client, no?
- namelosw 5y agoYes, strictly speaking, we didn't "have" to because we have many other clients and projects, the company will surely stay afloat. However, we have to because this deal is less and less attractive over time compared to other projects and the management would eventually fire the client (we won't get fired since there are other projects) - before that, the head of the project should at least attempt to talk with the client and try to raise the price (plus there are obvious lock-ins for a giant software project and they can afford the price).