Urgency Isn’t a Discount. It’s a Sales Skill.

Most contractors and agencies rely on fast-action discounts to get deals across the finish line.

"Sign today and save." "Price goes up tomorrow." "We’ll throw in an incentive if you move now."

Here’s the problem. Those tools were never designed to be the strategy. They were designed to support a deal that was already justified.

After personally reviewing hundreds of recorded sales calls, one pattern shows up over and over again. Sales reps are not using discounts to support urgency. They are using discounts as the only source of urgency.That’s a massive mistake.

Deals Are Won in Discovery, Not in Closing

Gong.io’s data is clear. Top-performing reps win deals in discovery, not during the close.

Yet what we see in the field is the opposite behavior. Reps rush discovery, assume they know why the prospect wants to change, and then try to manufacture urgency at the end with price.

Customers feel that immediately.

Manufactured urgency does not motivate action. It creates hesitation. That’s why deals stall. That’s why prospects say they need to think about it. That’s why they want more quotes.

The Gym Membership Problem

Think about selling a gym membership. A prospect walks in and says... “I want to get in shape.”

Most reps stop there. They nod, pitch, and move on. But that’s not the real reason.

If you dig deeper, you might find out they’re back on the dating market. Or they just had a health scare. Or they’re tired of being exhausted every day.

That deeper reason is what creates urgency. Without it, when the prospect hesitates, you have nothing to anchor back to. No leverage. No clarity. No conviction. So you discount.

Why Fast-Action Discounts Backfire

When urgency is built on price alone, prospects learn one thing. Waiting pays. They feel the pressure. They don’t feel the purpose.That’s why “send me the quote” turns into silence, or why “I just want to think about it” becomes an objection most can’t recover from.

What you need to focus on is truly understanding why this is important the customer.
What got you interested in jumping on call, or having us out today?
Tell me more, How long has this been an issue or desire? What makes you want to change now? Why not just keep doing what your doing?

This article isn’t saying discounts should never be used. They’re fine as a final nudge. When the customer is 100% sold this is the right product and you are the right company.

The Real Fix

Urgency comes from uncovering the true reason someone wants to change. Not the surface-level reason. The real one.

When discovery is done right, price becomes a detail, not the decision.

If you want help tightening your discovery process and eliminating discount-driven selling, DM me.

You can also text me directly at 202-900-6424.

Build urgency the right way, and your sales will skyrocket!