QuotedPartAnswers · Updated 2026-10-30
The buyer says my price is too high: should I lower it?
Price one of your own parts: Drop a STEP model or PDF drawing — about 90 seconds, no account.
Your part priced in about 90 seconds, no account.
Don't lower the price first; change what's being bought. A 10% discount on a price with a 30% markup removes 43% of your profit, and you would need 76% more volume to earn the same money. Our pricing engine shows cheaper ways to meet the buyer: the same anodized aluminum bracket is $68.51 each at 10, $41.77 at 25 and $26.98 at 100, and $52.26 at 10 if the buyer arranges the anodize.
See how QuotedPart connects to your workflow with its API, MCP server, autonomous quoting and shop-specific learning.
What a discount really costs
Take a job with a cost of $76.92 sold at $100 (a 30% markup). Your profit is $23.08. A 10% discount takes the price to $90.00 and the profit to $13.08, so a ten percent price cut is a 43% profit cut. To earn the same profit at the lower price you would have to sell 76% more of them. That's the number to say to yourself before the phone call.
It also teaches the buyer that your first price has a cushion in it. The next quote then starts with the same ask.
Responses that keep your margin
Ask what the buyer is trying to hit: a unit price, a budget total, a number from another quote. Then offer a different order, not a lower price.
| Offer | Price each | Lot price | What the buyer gives up |
|---|---|---|---|
| As quoted: 10 pieces, clear anodize | $68.51 | $685.10 | Nothing |
| 25 pieces, one setup, one anodize lot | $41.77 | $1,044.25 | Commit to 25 now or in releases |
| 100 pieces, one setup, one anodize lot | $26.98 | $2,698.00 | Commit to 100, hold a blanket PO |
| 10 pieces, buyer arranges the anodize | $52.26 | $522.60 | Buyer handles the finisher and its lot minimum |
Other levers, and when to walk away
Lead time: a longer date lets you fill the schedule and cuts expedite costs. Material: a free-machining grade, a different alloy that meets the same spec or a cheaper stock size; ask whether the print allows an alternate. Tolerance: if a tolerance is tighter than the function needs, a conversation with the engineer can drop an inspection step or a second operation. Payment terms: net 30 at your price, or a small discount for payment on receipt.
Walk away when the buyer wants a price below your cost, when you'd have to drop a cost you actually have (certs, inspection, finish), or when the price isn't the real objection and the buyer is shopping you against a marketplace. A polite "We can't do that price and keep the quality you asked for" costs nothing, leaves the door open, and protects the shops' reputation for the next buyer.
If you do give a concession, trade it: "I can take 5% off if you can commit to 100 on a blanket" or "I can match that if the lead time moves to five weeks." A discount for nothing is a gift.
Sources and limits
Claims are dated where they can change. Product calculations are examples from the stated inputs, not a promise about a customer's quote. Competitor wording is attributed to the source shown.
- Bracket prices are from QuotedPart's pricing engine, US starting catalog, 30% markup. The discount math is arithmetic on a stated $100 price and 30% markup.
Questions
What if the buyer is a long-time customer?
Trade the concession for something: volume, a commitment, an earlier payment. A relationship is a reason to be fair, not to lose money.
How far below my price can I go?
Down to your cost plus the profit you need on that job. If you don't know your cost on this part, you aren't ready to negotiate it.
Price one of your own parts
Drop a PDF drawing or a STEP file. QuotedPart reads the print, measures the model and prices it in seconds, on default shop rates you can change.
Your STEP file or PDF drawingDrop a PDF drawing, a STEP file or both
Free. No account, no email. Priced at our default US rates until you set yours.
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