Pricing & Procurement: Early Answers That De-Risk

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The real reason deals stall

The fastest way to add weeks to a deal is to dodge two simple questions:

1. Price — “Roughly how much is this going to cost us?”

2. Risk — “If I move forward, will I look smart or reckless?”

Give clear, lightweight answers early and you:

• keep your champion confident,

• prevent late-stage surprises,

• and shorten cycles—no legalese required.

Make a one-page “Answer Sheet” (buyers can forward it)

Two parts. One screen each. No jargon.

1) Money Page (range + what changes it + a safe first step)

Use labels any business person understands.

Example layout

• Typical annual/total spend: $–$

• What moves the price: users / locations / shipments / volume / add-ons

• Try it small: 2–4 week pilot or sample project

  • scope: ______

  • success measure: ______

  • what happens after: pilot fee is credited if we proceed

• Discounts (if any): upfront / multi-year / bundle

• Set-up & time needed: ___ hours over ___ weeks; who’s involved: (roles)

2) Trust Page (plain answers to the scary questions)

Avoid acronyms. Say what it means, then link proof if you have it.

Example layout

• Data & privacy (if you handle customer/company data): what we collect, where it lives, who can access. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest. We delete on request.

• Access & sign-in (for software): single sign-on supported; role-based access.

• Uptime / response promises: target availability ___%; support hours –.

• Backups / recovery: daily backups; typical restore time ___ hours.

• Integrations / logistics: connects with _______; delivery timelines _______.

• Insurance / assurances (services & hardware): professional liability on file; warranty terms _______.

• Independent review (if applicable): recent third-party security or quality audit available on request.

• Contract basics: standard terms, cancellation window, how renewals work.

Put it to work (3 replies you can send today)

When they ask “Ballpark?”

When they ask “Security / compliance / risks?” (any industry)

When procurement shows up

Redline triage (so edits don’t derail you)

Not every contract change needs lawyers. Sort requests into three buckets and move.

Green — accept quickly (you can approve)

• Typos, branding, contact details

• “Net-30” vs “Net-45” payment terms

• Adding a simple mutual non-disclosure

Yellow — discuss and trade (you + founder/manager)

• Reasonable liability cap (e.g., limited to fees)

• Narrow wording about how we use data

• Reference language or logo use

Red — escalate (legal/executive call)

• Unlimited liability or broad IP transfer

• “Most-favored pricing” or non-poach clauses

• Custom requirements that break your product or process

One-day setup

Morning (45 min): Draft your Money Page and Trust Page in Notion or Google Docs.
Late morning (30 min): Paste both links into three email snippets (“Ballpark,” “Security,” “Procurement”).
Afternoon (30 min): Agree on Green/Yellow/Red rules with the team. Write who approves what.
End of day (15 min): Update your follow-ups to include the Answer Sheet links.

Copy-paste checklist

• Money Page filled (range, drivers, pilot, discounts, setup time)

• Trust Page filled (data/privacy, access, support, backups, logistics, audit if any, contract basics)

• Three email snippets saved. You can use skyp.ai here to generate these emails in under 10 minutes.

• Redline rules agreed (Green/Yellow/Red + who approves)

• Links added to your 48-hour and multi-stakeholder follow-ups

Interested in building a company that gets acquired? Sign up for our event at SF Tech Week. Want tools to grow your business now? Check out Skyp.ai, AI microcampaigns that deliver results–for founders and early GTM teams.