A discount can win a job, but it comes straight out of your profit. Before you offer one, work out what is left and what you're getting in return.
Know the real cost
If your margin is 20% and you offer a 10% discount, you've given away half your profit. You'd have to do roughly twice the work to earn the same amount. Run that sum before you say yes.
When a discount makes sense
- Volume: a larger order lowers your cost per unit.
- Advance payment: you receive cash sooner, with less risk.
- Repeat work: a client commits to more than one job.
- Quiet periods: you'd rather keep your team busy.
In each case you get something back. A discount given simply because someone asked teaches them to always ask.
Make this quotation on your phone. Add your company once, then create and share a PDF, even without internet.
How to show it
Show the full price first, then the discount as its own line, then the new total. The client sees the value they're receiving, and your normal price stays visible for future work. A discount hidden in reduced prices quietly lowers what the client expects to pay next time.
Better alternatives
- Reduce the scope: "I can reach that budget if we leave out the second coat."
- Add value instead: include delivery or an extra service that costs you little.
- Offer a cheaper material or a phased approach.
- Change payment terms, offering a small reduction for full payment upfront.
Saying no politely
You can hold your price without losing respect: "I can't reduce the price for this scope, because it's based on the materials and time the job needs. I can look at options to reduce the scope if that helps."
Read more in our negotiation guide.
Quotation Maker App Offline is free on Google Play. It stores your work on your phone and creates a clean A4 PDF you can share anywhere.
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