Time is Money In Yes, If Negotiations

Host: Andy Olen
Podcast: The Business Warrior Within

Episode Overview

We have all heard the phrase, “Time is money.” But in a negotiation, time can be much more than a cost; it can be a valuable asset to trade.

In this episode of The Business Warrior Within, Andy Olen explores how sales professionals, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and negotiators can use time to create value, improve predictability, accelerate decisions, and build better outcomes for everyone involved.

Drawing from recent client negotiations and his Yes, If cooperative negotiation framework, Andy shares practical examples of using timing as part of a value-for-value trade. These strategies include offering incentives when multiple agreements are signed together, creating time-bound pricing options, prioritizing customers who make longer-term commitments, and exchanging modest concessions for greater certainty.

Andy also explains why certainty matters so much in business. Delayed contracts can create calendar conflicts, disrupt resource planning, increase operational variability, and make forecasting more difficult. A timely commitment, by contrast, can improve cash flow, protect capacity, reduce uncertainty, and allow both the customer and the provider to plan more effectively.

The episode reinforces the core philosophy behind Yes, If Negotiations:

“Yes, I can do this for you, if you can do that for me.”

Rather than automatically saying yes and giving away value, or saying no and creating unnecessary conflict, the Yes, If approach encourages negotiators to prepare thoughtful trades and exchange value for value. Time can become one of the most useful and overlooked assets in that trading portfolio.

Key Takeaways

• Time is a negotiable asset. Price, volume, service, product scope, and contract terms are not the only variables available in a negotiation. The timing of a decision, signature, implementation, delivery, or long-term commitment can also create meaningful value.

• Trade discounts for certainty—not simply because a customer asks. If a customer requests a lower price, consider connecting the concession to an accelerated commitment: “Yes, I can provide that pricing if we finalize the agreement by this date.”

• Use timing to connect multiple opportunities. When a customer is considering two related projects, offering additional value in exchange for signing both agreements simultaneously may improve efficiency and create greater certainty for both parties.

• Consider time-based pricing in proposals and statements of work. An earlier commitment may receive preferred pricing, while a later commitment may carry a higher investment because availability becomes less certain and the opportunity cost of holding capacity increases.

• A verbal commitment is not the same as a signed agreement. Holding dates without a completed contract can create uncertainty, limit other business opportunities, and complicate professional and personal planning.

• Capacity has value. Every professional and organization has a limited number of hours, resources, and “calories” to deploy. Customers who make larger or longer-term commitments may justify greater access, deeper customization, priority scheduling, or more favorable economics.

• Long-term partnerships can create value for both sides. Predictable client relationships allow providers to develop deeper knowledge, deliver stronger insights, plan resources more effectively, and potentially offer better value to customers.

• Prepare trades before entering the negotiation. Anticipate requests involving price, rebates, shipping, customization, additional services, implementation support, or other concessions. Then identify what you would want in exchange—including faster decisions, greater volume, longer commitments, expanded product adoption, or improved payment terms.

• Certainty supports healthy cash flow. For entrepreneurs and small businesses, the timing of signed contracts and incoming revenue can materially affect resource allocation, investment decisions, and financial stability.

• Reducing variability creates business value. When organizations can more accurately predict demand, production, capacity, implementation timing, and revenue, they can operate more efficiently and avoid the costs associated with overproduction, underproduction, unused capacity, or delayed delivery.

The “Yes, If” Mindset

Many people enter negotiations feeling anxiety, fearing conflict, or worrying about losing the deal. That discomfort can cause negotiators to lower their opening position, concede too quickly, or give away value without receiving anything in return.

The Yes, If approach replaces confrontation with cooperation:

“Yes, I can provide a lower price, if you can commit to greater volume.”

“Yes, I can include additional services, if we expand the scope of the agreement.”

“Yes, I can provide preferred pricing, if we finalize the agreement by this date.”

The objective is not to defeat the other side. It is to build thoughtful trades that create a triple-win outcome:

1. A win for you

2. A win for your organization

3. A win for your customer

Questions to Consider

As you prepare for your next negotiation, ask yourself:

• How valuable is an earlier decision or signed agreement?

• Would greater timing certainty justify a pricing concession or additional value?

• Can multiple opportunities be combined or sequenced to benefit both sides?

• What is the cost of holding capacity without a signed commitment?

• How could a longer-term agreement improve planning, service, or customer outcomes?

• What timing-related risks or opportunities matter most to the customer?

• What can you trade in exchange for speed, certainty, predictability, or commitment?

Featured Quote

“Time becomes a critical asset in running a successful business because it reduces variability. If variability is one of the greatest costs to a business, how you negotiate with time can become a powerful business enabler.”

Call to Action

Before your next negotiation, add time to your list of potential trades.

Think beyond price. Consider decision dates, contract timing, implementation schedules, delivery priorities, capacity commitments, contract duration, and long-term predictability. Then prepare your Yes, If response:

“Yes, I can do this for you, if you can do that for me.”

Use time thoughtfully. Trade value for value. Work cooperatively with your customer—and pursue an outcome that benefits you, your organization, and the customer.

Thanks for listening to The Business Warrior Within podcast. Keep building your negotiation skills, keep creating value, and keep pursuing the triple win.