Sales & business · Negotiation Trainer
How to negotiate a supplier price increase: practice with Susan Pierce
Ask for the cost data behind the increase, compare it with market prices and other suppliers’ quotes, and counter with a smaller increase tied to something you can give: a longer contract, larger orders, faster payment or a price lock. Know your walk-away and your backup supplier before the call, and get the final terms in writing. Practice with Susan Pierce, an account manager who wants 12% more and says costs are up for everyone.
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Updated October 2026
Who it's for
Who this practice is for
- Procurement teams facing a supplier who says costs are up for everyone.
- Small-business owners renewing a contract with a 12% increase on the table.
- Anyone who freezes when a supplier leads with a big number.
- Buyers who want to practice using competitor quotes without bluffing.
What happens
How a session goes
- You speak first. You open the call with Susan Pierce, who says costs are up for everyone.
- Susan pushes back in a hardball style. She has her own private walk-away point you cannot see.
- You can type instead of talking at any time.
- At the end, Susan states a final term-by-term position and says deal or no deal.
Real lines from a test session
What Susan Pierce said in a test session
“Thanks for taking the call. I know twelve percent is a big number to hear, and I wouldn't have brought it if it wasn't absolutely necessary.”
“Four percent? … Can you give me anything on that side?”
“Good, I appreciate you working with me on this. Here is my final offer: eight percent increase, one-year price lock, and a written volume floor at ninety percent of your current order level.”
From a test session of this practice in the app, lightly trimmed. Your session goes its own way: the character reacts to what you say.
You go first
Ways to open
- “Susan, thanks for meeting. We've been a loyal customer for six years, so the 12% caught us off guard.”
- “Help me understand what's behind the 12%.”
- “Before we talk numbers, here's what a 12% increase does to our budget.”
Example first lines to adapt. Fill in the brackets with your own details.
The scorecard
What the scorecard looked like for Supplier Price Hike
“Um, I guess we could... look at volume? I don't know the exact numbers offhand, but... maybe we could do something there. I'd have to check with my boss, though.”
You offered a vague concession without knowing your leverage or tying it to a specific trade.
Try instead: “If we commit to a volume increase, I'd need a 4% increase with a two-year lock. What volume minimum would make that work for you?”
What went well: You maintained a polite tone and did not reveal your walk-away.
Real scorecard output from one of our test runs. In test runs the practice answers are written by a test script, not by a customer.
What good looks like
What a strong answer does here
- You anchor with data: volume, six years of history, or quotes from two other suppliers.
- You ask what drives the increase before you offer anything in return.
- You trade terms like length, payment, or volume instead of splitting the difference in round one.
- You keep your walk-away hidden: 7% only with net-60, otherwise you get other quotes.
Scored on:
- Preparation & anchoring
- Value creation
- Outcome
- Rapport
Common mistakes
Weak lines, and what to say instead
Weak: “Let's just split the difference and call it 6%.”
Better: “Before I move, help me understand what is behind the 12%. Then we can talk terms.”
Splitting the difference in round one gives away value and skips the data.
Weak: “I really need this to be 4%. My budget is tight.”
Better: “A 12% increase breaks our budget. Here is what our volume and history support.”
Talking about your budget invites sympathy, not a better price.
Weak: “Fine, 8% works if you lock it for two years.”
Better: “I can do 7% only with net-60 payment terms. Otherwise I get quotes from two others.”
Accepting 8% on the first round ignores your walk-away and the 4% goal.
Weak: “I guess we can make 10% work somehow.”
Better: “Let's trade: a two-year lock and a volume floor in exchange for a smaller increase.”
Caving without trading terms gives Susan everything for nothing.
Push Back on a Supplier Price Hike: start talking in a few seconds. Your own side stays yours to fill in.
Try it free, no signupMake this useful for your next conversation
Your negotiation trainer practice plan
- Define your target and walk-away
- Ask about interests and trade terms
- Confirm the agreement clearly
Start with a free worksheet, then test your own response with a voice or text roleplay. Your first complete coaching report is free once across all areas. Create a free account to save your goal, actual words, and downloadable notes.
Need repeated practice? $4.99 once buys 100 rounds across every mode and full coaching on every report. Rounds never expire; no subscription is required.
FAQ
Questions about Supplier Price Hike
Who is Susan Pierce in this practice?
Susan Pierce is the AI supplier's account manager, about 55. She plays hardball and says costs are up for everyone. She has a private walk-away point and a style. At the end, she states a final term-by-term position and says deal or no deal. Try it free →
What am I trying to achieve in this scenario?
You are renewing a packaging contract worth $400k a year. Susan wants a 12% increase. Your goal is to hold the increase to 4% with a two-year price lock. Your walk-away is 7% only with net-60 payment terms; otherwise you get quotes from two other suppliers. Try it free →
How do you respond to a supplier price increase letter?
Acknowledge it, ask for a call, and request the reasons and data behind the increase before agreeing to anything. Check the contract for price-change clauses and notice periods, get competing quotes, and come to the call with a counter-proposal and what you can offer in return. Try it free →
What can I offer a supplier instead of a higher price?
A longer contract, bigger or more predictable orders, faster payment terms, more of your business on another product line, or flexibility on delivery dates. Each costs you less than a price increase but is worth something to the supplier, which gives them a reason to move. Try it free →
Try Push Back on a Supplier Price Hike free
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