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Counter an 18% renewal from the carrier you cannot afford to lose

  • For Procurement
  • You practice Setting limits and rules
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Advanced

About this exercise

Your logistics vendor Meridian Freight has proposed an 18% increase to renew. Write the negotiation email from you, Alex Ruiz, to their account director, Karen Doyle, as plain text under 170 words. Be warm about the 3-year relationship but firm. Cite the late-delivery data. Make one specific counter, with the increase, the term and the service credit. Set ONE reply deadline: Friday, Nov 20. Do not threaten, do not name any other vendor or quote, and do not reveal your approval limit or anything about your own risks or timing pressure. Start with a subject line and "Hi Karen,".

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • An aggressive tone. The AI turns the late-delivery data into an accusation, or hints at taking the business elsewhere. Try: Add: "Warm but firm. Cite the 4.2% vs 2% data calmly. No threats."
  • Revealing your constraints. The AI uses everything in the file, including your 7% limit and how risky switching is right now. Try: Add: "Leave out my approval limit, the switching risk and my timing pressure."
  • No specific counter. The AI says "we'd like to discuss pricing" and leaves the real number to Karen. Try: Add: "Counter with +5%, a 2-year term, and a credit when late deliveries go above 2%."
  • No deadline or too many. The AI says "let me know soon" or offers several next steps. Try: Add: "Set one deadline: reply by Friday, Nov 20."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI runs long when you only give a total, and adds markdown. Try: Say "under 130 words, plain text" and cap the parts, like "6 short sentences".

What a strong prompt includes

  • Warm but firm
  • Cites the SLA data
  • Specific counter
  • One deadline
  • Leaves out internal limits

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