Can I have a discount? Vs. I wish to pay full price

I received a request recently from a customer – ‘Can I have a discount?’ Why? ‘Because I’m really short of cash this month.’

I’ve dealt with this more than a few times however on this occasion I wanted to share the lesson with more than just the asker.

There was a time when I would have say ‘Sure’ as I felt for the story of challenge combined with want, now.

Or perhaps influenced by the fear of a loss of a sale.

However over the last few decades I have been exposed to a number of mentors who have taught me that I actually do not serve the person by giving them the impression that to have more they don’t need to change.

Here’s one of those influences, Jim Rohn:

“I wish to pay full price for every value…For what it will make of me….If I wish to have more, I must become more….Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better.”–Jim Rohn

Another reason Jim taught was the value in paying fair price or earning something rather than being gifted something:

“The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become. That is why I wish to pay fair price for every value. If I have to pay for it or earn it, that makes something of me. If I get it for free, that makes nothing of me.“–Jim Rohn

So now I say, as much as it hurts me on earlier values, I am not serving you by giving you a discount for no other reason than you asked for one based on how tough life is for you financially.

I know many teachers who share this value, based first on what they do, and secondly then what they teach. In fact I heard one just a few days ago say the same thing, and another person influenced by Jim Rohn amongst others.

bit.ly/Iwishtopayfullprice

Perhaps the lesson will be received. Perhaps not. And in case you were interested, the full price of the item was 44 dollars….We collectively expended more time in writing emails than the value of any discount could have been…

When I hear something ask for a reduced price simply because they perceive something to be out of their reach, I conclude they have not been exposed to these lessons, so I choose to pass on the wisdom of Jim Rohn and others.

In conclusion, another Jim Rohn wisdom:

“I used to say, “Things cost too much.” Then my teacher straightened me out on that by saying, “The problem isn’t that things cost too much. The problem is that you can’t afford it.” That’s when I finally understood that the problem wasn’t “it” – the problem was “me.”— Jim Rohn