Discount Approval
By DealHub Experts 
Reviewed By Eyal Orgil Published June 13, 2024
Table of Contents
What Is Discount Approval?
Discount approval is when a salesperson or manager approves or seeks authorization to offer a discount to a customer. This controlled and consistent manner ensures that discounts are granted fairly, protecting the company’s profit margins and ensuring transparency in pricing.
Synonyms
- Approval process for quote discounts
- Discount authorization
- Discount request process
- Price adjustment approval
Importance of a Discount Approval Process
A structured process for approving discounts is important for financial stability and operational efficiency.
A clear discount approval process safeguards profit margins by preventing excessive discounts. Without such controls, sales reps might offer steeper discounts to close deals quickly, leading to substantial revenue loss in the long run. Standardizing this process ensures fairness and consistency for all customers. It avoids price variations and favoritism and builds trust and transparency with the client base.
Discount approval mechanisms also provide a clear record of authorized discounts and the rationale behind them. This is crucial for internal audits to track decisions and resolve discrepancies. A structured approval process further helps align discount strategies with overall business goals. This ensures discounts are strategically integrated into the company’s pricing framework, supporting competitiveness and profitability.
Types of Discount Approval Workflows
Various workflows are available to meet different business needs, providing flexibility and efficiency in the discount approval process. The major types are:
Manual Approval
Sales representatives submit discount requests directly to their managers for evaluation in a manual approval workflow. This method is particularly useful for high-value clients or complex deals requiring personalized consideration. For instance, a sales manager might review a discount request for a key client with a significant purchase volume to ensure the discount aligns with the strategic relationship.
Automated Approval
Automated approval workflows use software to route discount requests through a predefined set of rules. These systems quickly approve or escalate requests based on criteria such as discount size or customer segment. For example, an automated system might instantly approve a 5% discount on orders under $1,000, streamlining the process for lower-value transactions and reducing administrative burden.
Tiered Approval
Tiered approval, or multi-level approval, processes require different managerial levels to authorize discounts based on their size. Smaller discounts might need only a frontline manager’s approval, while more significant discounts could require senior executive authorization. An example would be a 10% discount needing sales manager approval, while a 25% discount requires the VP of Sales to sign off, ensuring that significant price reductions undergo rigorous scrutiny.
Conditional Approval
Conditional approval workflows grant discounts based on specific conditions, such as order size or the customer’s purchasing history. To illustrate, a 15% discount might be automatically approved if the customer’s order exceeds a certain dollar amount or if they have consistently made large purchases in the past. This method ensures that discounts are given strategically, encouraging larger orders and rewarding loyal customers.
Steps in the Discount Approval Process
Each of the following discount approval process steps ensures that discounts are granted thoughtfully and strategically:
Initiation
The process begins when a salesperson identifies the need for a discount. This need could arise from competitive pressures, customer negotiations, or strategic considerations to close a deal. The representative gathers all relevant information, including the customer’s profile, order details, and justification for the discount, to support the approval request.
Submission
Once the need is identified, the discount request is submitted through the appropriate channel. In a manual workflow, this might involve filling out a form and emailing it to a manager. In an automated system, the request is entered into a software platform designed to handle such submissions efficiently. Common pitfalls at this stage include incomplete information or incorrect data entry, which can delay the approval process.
Review
The designated approver, such as a manager or deal desk team, reviews the request. This review includes assessing the discount’s validity, alignment with company policies, and potential impact on profitability. The approver may consider factors such as the customer’s history, the order size, the approval matrix, and the strategic importance of the deal. A thorough review helps prevent unwarranted discounts that could harm the company’s bottom line.
Decision
After reviewing the request, the approver decides to approve, reject, or escalate it to a higher authority if the discount exceeds their approval limit. This step ensures that only authorized personnel make significant pricing decisions, maintaining control over the discounting process.
Communication
The decision is promptly communicated back to the sales representative. If the request is approved, the sales rep informs the customer and proceeds with the transaction. If rejected, the rep must explain the decision to the customer and possibly renegotiate terms. Effective communication at this stage is required to maintain customer satisfaction and trust.
Documentation
Finally, all approved or rejected discount requests are documented. This documentation provides a valuable record for future reference, audits, and analysis. It helps the company track discount patterns, understand their impact on sales and profitability, and refine discount strategies over time.
How to Improve Discount Approval Processes
Enhancing discount approval processes can lead to increased efficiency and profitability. Here are some discount approval best practices:
Automate Workflows
Implementing automation tools can significantly streamline the discount approval process and minimize manual errors. CPQ or Configure Price Quote software, for example, automates the configuration of product prices and approval workflows, ensuring that discount requests are processed swiftly and accurately. Automation reduces the administrative burden on sales teams, allowing them to focus more on selling and less on paperwork.
Set Clear Criteria
Defining explicit criteria for different discount levels is mandatory for consistency and fairness. Establish rules for when and how discounts can be applied, based on factors like order size, customer segment, and strategic importance. Ensure that these criteria are well-communicated and understood by all employees involved in the sales process. Clear guidelines help prevent arbitrary discounting and ensure that discounts are applied uniformly across the organization.
Implement Tiered Approvals
Introduce tiered approval levels to ensure that larger discounts undergo more rigorous scrutiny. For instance, frontline managers might approve smaller discounts while significant discounts require executive-level authorization. This structure ensures that substantial sales price reductions receive the necessary oversight, protecting the company’s profit margins and strategic pricing integrity.
Monitor and Analyze
Review and analyze discount approval data regularly to identify trends, bottlenecks, and areas for improvement. Monitoring metrics such as approval times, discount utilization rates, and impact on profit margins provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of the discount approval process. Use this data to refine criteria, adjust workflows, and optimize the overall process.
Training and Communication
Finally, ongoing training should be provided to sales teams about the importance of the discount approval process and how to adhere to it correctly. Effective training programs and communication ensure that all team members understand the procedures, criteria, and the strategic importance of maintaining controlled discounting practices.
By automating workflows, setting clear criteria, implementing tiered approvals, monitoring performance, and investing in training, companies can significantly enhance their discount approval processes, ensuring they are both efficient and strategically aligned.
Key Metrics in Discount Approval
Monitoring key metrics in discount approval processes provides valuable insights for improving results:
Approval Time
Approval time measures the average duration from when a discount request is submitted to when a decision is made. Shorter approval times enhance sales efficiency and customer satisfaction. For example, an automated system might reduce approval times from days to mere hours, enabling sales teams to close deals faster.
Discount Utilization
Discount utilization tracks the percentage of sales that include approved discounts. High utilization rates can indicate aggressive discounting strategies, while lower rates might suggest more selective discounting. For instance, if 40% of sales include discounts, this metric can help assess whether discount management strategies align with business goals and customer expectations.
Impact on Profit Margins
This metric evaluates how approved discounts affect overall profit margins. A critical analysis can reveal whether discounts erode profits or drive profitable volume increases. For example, a company might find that frequent 10% discounts significantly reduce profit margins, prompting a review of discount policies to balance competitiveness with profitability.
Approval Rate
The approval rate is the percentage of discount requests that are approved versus those that are rejected. A high approval rate may suggest lenient discount policies, while a low rate might indicate stringent criteria. For example, if 70% of discount requests are approved, analyzing the reasons for the remaining 30% rejections can help refine discount guidelines and improve process transparency.
Future Trends in Discount Approval Processes
Advancements in technology are changing discount approval processes and providing new ways to improve efficiency and decision-making.
Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can analyze vast amounts of data to predict discount effectiveness, optimize approval workflows, and reduce manual intervention. Furthermore, real-time decision-making tools provide immediate insights and approvals based on current data. These tools integrate with CRM and ERP systems to offer instantaneous feedback on discount requests, leading to faster response times and improving customer satisfaction.
Choosing the Right Workflow Automation Software
Selecting the right software is fundamental to streamlining your discount approval process. Here are key considerations:
Identify Your Needs
Determine the specific features and functionalities required, such as integration capabilities with existing systems, user-friendliness, and customization options. Identifying these needs ensures the software aligns with your business processes and goals.
Scalability
Ensure the chosen software can scale with your business growth, accommodating an increasing number of discount requests without compromising performance. Scalable solutions support long-term business expansion and evolving discount strategies.
Integration
Look for software that seamlessly integrates with your CRM, ERP, and other business tools. Integration facilitates smooth data flow and enhances overall efficiency by reducing the need for manual data entry and reconciliation.
User Experience
Select software with an intuitive interface that is easy for your team to learn and use. A user-friendly design minimizes training time and increases adoption rates, leading to a more efficient discount approval process.
Customization
The software should allow for the customization of workflows to match your specific approval processes and business rules. Customizable CPQ solutions, for example, ensure that the software fits your unique operational requirements and makes it easy to create rules or schedules for discount approvals.
Reporting and Analytics
Opt for tools that offer robust reporting and analytics capabilities to track and analyze the performance of your discount approval process. These features provide insights into approval times, discount utilization, and impact on profit margins, helping you make data-driven decisions.
Support and Training
Ensure the vendor provides adequate support and training resources to help your team get the most out of the software. Comprehensive support and training facilitate smooth implementation and continuous improvement of the discount approval process.
Security
Lastly, verify that the software meets your company’s security standards to protect sensitive data and approval processes. Security features should include data encryption, access controls, and compliance with industry regulations to safeguard your business information.
Key Takeaways
Discount approval processes control pricing and protect profit margins. Workflows can be manual, automated, tiered, or conditional. Companies can improve processes with automation, clear criteria, tiered approvals, regular monitoring, and training. To ensure data-driven decisions, metrics like approval time, discount utilization, profit impact, and approval rates must be tracked.
People Also Ask
What are the common challenges in discount approval processes?
Inexperienced salespeople may be hesitant to adopt new discount approval processes because they are used to the current methods. To address this resistance, clear communication and training are necessary. Implementing new approval systems, particularly automated ones, can also be complicated. The integration with existing systems needs to be smooth to prevent any disruptions in quotes to clients. Finally, ensuring consistency in discount policies and procedures across departments can be difficult. Standardized training and regular audits are essential to maintain this consistency.
How do discount approval processes vary between industries?
Discount approval processes differ significantly across industries due to varying business models, customer expectations, and sales strategies:
Retail: Discount approval processes often focus on high-volume sales and seasonal promotions in the retail industry. Retailers typically use automated systems for small, frequent discounts but may require managerial approval for larger, high-impact discounts.
Manufacturing: Discounts are often linked to bulk purchases or long-term contracts. Approval processes might be more stringent, involving multiple managerial levels to ensure that discounts align with strategic goals and do not erode profit margins. For instance, a manufacturer might need approval from both sales and finance departments for discounts exceeding a certain threshold.
Services: Service industries, such as consulting or software development, usually have bespoke discount approval processes tailored to individual client negotiations. Due to the high value and customized nature of the services provided, these processes often require in-depth review and approval from multiple levels of authority.
What is the role of a deal desk in the discount approval process?
The deal desk plays a critical role in ensuring discounts are offered strategically and in line with company policy during the sales process. Here’s a breakdown of their key functions:
Managing Exceptions: For discounts beyond standard offerings, the deal desk reviews and analyzes non-traditional deals or those with special requests. They assess the situation and determine if further approval is needed.
Approval Workflow: The deal desk establishes the approval process for discounts. This might involve a tiered system where larger discounts require sign-off from higher-level managers like VPs or the CRO.
Policy Enforcement: They ensure deals comply with company pricing guidelines. This prevents sales reps from offering excessive discounts to close a deal, protecting the company’s profitability.
Documentation: The deal desk records the approval process for each discount. This transparency helps maintain consistency and informs future decisions.
In essence, the deal desk acts as a gatekeeper for discounts, safeguarding the company’s interests while ensuring deals progress smoothly.
How does value selling reduce the need for discount approvals?
Value selling tackles the root cause of discount requests, ultimately reducing the need for frequent approvals. Here’s how:
Focus on Customer Needs: Value selling emphasizes understanding the customer’s challenges and pain points. By demonstrating how your product or service directly addresses those issues and delivers a strong return on investment (ROI), the focus shifts from price to the overall value proposition. The customer is more likely to see the price as justified because of the quantifiable benefits they’ll receive.
Outcomes over Features: Value selling goes beyond listing product features. Instead, it highlights the positive outcomes the customer will achieve by using your solution. This creates a perception of value that transcends just the price tag.
Collaboration & Customization: Value selling involves a consultative approach, working collaboratively with the customer to tailor a solution that meets their specific needs. This builds trust and strengthens the perception that the offering is worth the investment, reducing the pressure to negotiate on price.
Quantify Value: Value selling encourages salespeople to quantify the potential benefits for the customer. This could be increased efficiency, cost savings, or improved revenue. By presenting data and metrics to support the value proposition, the price becomes less of a discussion point and more of a reflection of the expected ROI.
Reduced Need for Approvals: With a strong value proposition, customers are more likely to perceive the asking price as fair. This reduces the need for salespeople to constantly seek discounts or price concessions, minimizing the number of deals requiring approval.
While value selling doesn’t eliminate discount approvals entirely, it equips salespeople to negotiate from a position of strength and focus on the overall value the customer is receiving. This creates a win-win scenario where the customer feels they’re getting a good deal and the company maintains healthy profit margins.
How is dynamic discounting related to discount approvals?
Traditional discounts offer a fixed rate for early payment, but dynamic discounting changes the game. Here’s how it impacts discount approvals:
Static vs. Dynamic:
Static Discounts: A buyer gets a set discount if they pay within a specific timeframe (e.g., 2% off if paid within 10 days). Approvals for these discounts are usually straightforward – pay early, get the discount if it’s within the window.
Dynamic Discounts: Discounts change based on the exact date of payment. The sooner you pay, the bigger the discount. This creates a need for a more flexible approval process.
Dynamic Discount Approvals:
Automated Systems: Many companies use software to manage dynamic discounting. These systems can automatically calculate the discount based on the payment date and may even auto-approve discounts below a certain threshold.
Approval Rules: Companies can set up rules for approving larger discounts. This might involve requiring supervisor approval for discounts exceeding a specific percentage or dollar amount.
Benefits of Dynamic Discount Approvals:
Efficiency: Automation speeds up approvals for smaller discounts, freeing up human resources for more complex tasks.
Control: Companies can maintain control over their spending with approval rules for larger discounts.
Flexibility: The system can adapt to changing cash flow needs and supplier offers.
Overall, dynamic discounting introduces a more dynamic approval process compared to static discounts. It leverages automation for efficiency while allowing human oversight for significant discounts.
