THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING

A Supplier Offers You a Discount

You are in Production Control. Planning on adding a porch onto your house, you visit a lumberyard to get ideas and a price. During the discussion, the sales manager says, "Oh, you work for XYZ Company. They buy a lot from us, so I'm going to give you a special discount." What do you do?

• A Supplier Offers You a Discount: Answer A

  Like finding a $20 bill on the street. Take the discount, of course.

• A Supplier Offers You a Discount: Answer B

  Explain to the sales manager, "I'm in production control, not purchasing at XYZ."

• A Supplier Offers You a Discount: Answer C

  Ask for clarification, "Is that special discount available to all XYZ employees?"

• A Supplier Offers You a Discount: Answer D

  If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Thank the salesman, but walk out.

National Academy of Engineering

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