Prep for a customer call you're dreading.
The three things they'll say, the specific concession you can offer, and the one thing you must not agree to under pressure.
You have a call with a customer that's going to be hard. They're churning, or they're demanding a discount, or an escalation reached you. This prompt preps the actual conversation so you don't concede too much in the moment or lose them out of stubbornness.
THE PROMPT
Prep me for a hard customer call. Paste who the customer is, our history, what triggered the call, and what my desired outcome is below. Return exactly: **What they'll actually say (top 3)** Not their stated complaint — the three things they're likely to actually push on in the call. Include the specific words or phrases they're likely to use, based on the context. **The real ask underneath** The specific thing they want that they may not name directly. Common patterns: "I want to feel heard" (not concession), "I want price protection for the next renewal" (not this month's discount), "I want to leave without a fight" (not an actual solve). **What you can concede** Specific concessions, in ascending order of cost. Start with the smallest that might land. Include the sentence I'd use to offer it — actual words, so I don't overpromise under stress. **What you must not concede under pressure** The specific thing that would set a precedent that hurts every other account. Named plainly, with the reason. Include the graceful decline sentence. **How you know it went well** The specific outcome that would count as a good call — not "they seemed happy", but "they agreed to a 60-day pilot extension in writing and referred me to their VP". Voice: warm, specific, direct. This is prep, not strategy — I need to sound like a person, not a rehearsed script. Context: [PASTE HERE]
**What they'll actually say**
1. "The product isn't delivering the value we expected" — vague, gives them room to move.
2. "We're evaluating [competitor]" — may or may not be true, but it's the leverage move.
3. "We need to see 30% off to renew" — the number is a starting position, not their actual willingness to pay.
**Real ask underneath**
They almost certainly want price protection for the next 12 months, not a discount on the current renewal. If you offer flat pricing through 2027 without an increase, they may take it and consider it a win.
**What you can concede**
- Small: extended payment terms (net 60 → net 90). Sentence: "Happy to move you to net-90 for this renewal — that helps with the cash-flow piece you raised."
- Medium: locked-in flat pricing through 2027 (no renewal increase). Sentence: "We can lock your current $X ARR through end of 2027 — no increase at renewal. That's not something we offer widely."
- Large: 15% discount on this renewal, but with a 2-year commit. Sentence: "If you're willing to commit to 2 years, I can go to 15% off the annual — that's the biggest lever I have."
**Must not concede**
Discount on year 1 without a 2-year commit. Reason: every other account you have would ask for it in Q4 if word gets out. Sentence: "The 15% requires the 2-year commit — I can't do it as a one-year discount without breaking parity with your peer accounts."
**How you know it went well**
They agree to renew in writing within 5 business days at flat pricing OR at 15% off with 2-year commit. If they leave the call saying "let me think about it" without a written next step, it wasn't a good call — book a follow-up before hanging up.