🏷️ Discount Policy for Enterprise: Fairness, Governance, and Speed

A clear discount policy protects margin and speeds approvals. Buyers want fairness and predictability; finance wants control and visibility. This article shows a simple policy with bands, approval routing, value trade‑offs, and language that communicates fairness without friction.

📊 Bands & Approvals

• 0–10%: self‑serve within tier guidelines.
• 10–20%: manager approval with rationale.
• 20%+: finance approval with value trade‑offs (term, prepay, references).

🔄 Value Trade‑Offs

Discounts should mirror value given: longer term, upfront payment, reference rights, or case participation. Package concessions; avoid one‑offs that set bad precedent.

🧭 Governance & Logging

Log the discount rationale in CRM; attach docs. Review by segment monthly. Publish median discounts by tier to keep behaviors aligned.

🗣️ Policy Language (Template)

“Our price reflects measurable outcomes and support. When budget constraints apply, we can consider adjustments within X–Y% in exchange for term, pre‑payment, or reference participation. Requests beyond that require finance review to ensure fairness across customers.”

⚠️ Pitfalls

• Unstructured one‑off discounts—create internal inequity and future pressure.
• Feature giveaways—harder to value and maintain than term/prepay trades.
• Opaque approvals—erode trust and slow deals.

✅ Checklist

❓ FAQ

Should we hide max discount? No—internally it prevents policy erosion. Externally, talk in ranges and trade‑offs.