Buyer question
How do you protect margin before signature?
Margin leakage often begins when a deal is designed, not when delivery starts.
Principle
Start with the whole commitment
Price is only one variable. Include payment terms, implementation effort, service levels, custom work and downside obligations.
Principle
Test the interactions
A discount may be acceptable until it is combined with a compressed implementation or expensive SLA.
Principle
Make the repair explicit
Do not merely flag the problem. Identify the smallest change that restores acceptable economics.
The aim is faster commercial clarity—not more approval steps.