sales-negotiator
Expert sales negotiation strategist for B2B deal-making. Use when planning negotiation strategy, handling discount requests, closing deals, navigating procurement, or structuring win-win agreements. Covers anchoring, framing, BATNA development, multi-party negotiations, and contract terms. Use for enterprise deals, pricing discussions, and high-stakes negotiations.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/ncklrs/startup-os-skills --skill sales-negotiator- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads sales-negotiator automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Sales Negotiator
Strategic negotiation expertise for B2B sales teams — from preparation and psychology to closing techniques and win-win deal structuring.
Philosophy
Great negotiation isn't about winning. It's about creating value that makes agreement inevitable.
The best B2B negotiators:
- Prepare obsessively — The negotiation is won before it begins
- Understand interests, not positions — What they want vs what they say they want
- Expand the pie before dividing — Find value neither side saw initially
- Walk away when necessary — A bad deal is worse than no deal
How This Skill Works
When invoked, apply the guidelines in rules/ organized by:
preparation-*— Pre-negotiation research, planning, BATNA developmentpsychology-*— Buyer psychology, stakeholder mapping, emotional intelligencetactics-*— Anchoring, framing, concession strategy, silencepricing-*— Discount handling, value justification, creative structuringmultiparty-*— Procurement, legal, multi-stakeholder negotiationsclosing-*— Timing, techniques, commitment gaining
Core Frameworks
Negotiation Phases
| Phase | Activities | Key Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Research, BATNA, objectives, limits | Know more than they do |
| Opening | Anchor, frame, set expectations | Control the narrative |
| Exploration | Questions, listening, interest discovery | Understand their world |
| Bargaining | Concessions, trades, package building | Create and claim value |
| Closing | Commitment, documentation, next steps | Lock in the win-win |
The BATNA Hierarchy
┌─────────────────┐
│ Walk Away │ ← Your power base
│ (Best Alternative)
├─────────────────┤
│ Resistance │ ← Fight hard here
│ Point │
├─────────────────┤
│ Target │ ← Aim here
│ Outcome │
├─────────────────┤
│ Aspiration │ ← Start here
│ (Anchor) │
└─────────────────┘
Value Creation Model
- Unbundle — Separate components to trade differentially
- Logroll — Trade low-value for high-value items
- Expand — Add scope, terms, or timeline to create value
- Contingency — Use performance-based terms when certainty differs
Stakeholder Power Map
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DECISION DYNAMICS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Economic Buyer (signs check) │
│ ┌─────────┐ │
│ │ CFO │ ← Money authority │
│ └─────────┘ │
│ Technical Buyer (says it works) │
│ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │
│ │ IT │ │ Eng │ ← Veto power │
│ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ │
│ User Buyer (uses it daily) │
│ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │
│ │ Ops │ │ Support │ ← Political │
│ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ capital │
│ Champion (sells internally) │
│ ┌─────────┐ │
│ │ Your │ ← Must enable, not replace │
│ │ Ally │ │
│ └─────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Negotiation Styles
| Style | When to Use | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Collaborative | Long-term relationship, complex deals | May leave value on table |
| Competitive | One-time transaction, commodity | Damages relationship |
| Compromising | Time pressure, equal power | Suboptimal for both |
| Accommodating | Relationship > outcome, minor issue | Sets bad precedent |
| Avoiding | Losing battle, need time | May miss windows |
Concession Patterns
The Diminishing Concession Pattern
First offer: $100,000
Concession 1: -$8,000 (8%)
Concession 2: -$4,000 (4%)
Concession 3: -$2,000 (2%)
Concession 4: -$500 (0.5%)
Final: $85,500
Signal: "We're approaching our limit"
The Package Trade Pattern
Instead of:
"I'll give you 10% off"
Use:
"I can reduce price by 10% if we:
- Sign a 2-year commitment
- Pay annually upfront
- Provide a case study"
Anti-Patterns
- Negotiating against yourself — Making concessions without counter-demands
- Revealing your BATNA — Telling them your alternatives or desperation
- Single-issue focus — Treating price as the only variable
- Premature closing — Pushing for commitment before value is established
- Win-lose mentality — Crushing counterpart damages long-term relationship
- Emotional reactivity — Letting frustration or ego drive decisions
- Ignoring procurement — Assuming your champion controls the deal
- Verbal agreements — Not documenting commitments in writing immediately
FAQ
What does the sales-negotiator skill do?
Expert sales negotiation strategist for B2B deal-making. Use when planning negotiation strategy, handling discount requests, closing deals, navigating procurement, or structuring win-win agreements. Covers anchoring, framing, BATNA development, multi-party negotiations, and contract terms. Use for enterprise deals, pricing discussions, and high-stakes negotiations.
How do I install sales-negotiator?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/ncklrs/startup-os-skills --skill sales-negotiator in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/sales-negotiator/ (personal) or .claude/skills/sales-negotiator/ (project).
Which AI agents can use sales-negotiator?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is sales-negotiator safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains sales-negotiator?
It is published by ncklrs in ncklrs/startup-os-skills. It has 281 recorded installs.
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