How do I stop discounting the moment price comes up?

The moment price comes up, you cave and start discounting, and you already know it is costing you. That reflex almost always comes from one place: fear of losing the deal. You would rather cut the price than risk the no. It is a very human instinct, and it is also exactly the instinct a buyer is counting on. Here is what is worth seeing. When you discount the instant price is questioned, you teach the buyer that your first price was not real, and you tell yourself your work is worth less than you asked. The deal you keep by caving is often not worth keeping, and the habit slowly trains everyone, including you, to doubt your value. So the next time price comes up, do not answer with a discount. Answer with a question: what is it about the price. Then stay quiet and let them talk. Most of the time they are testing, not leaving. Hold your number a beat longer than feels comfortable, and defend the value instead of dropping the price. The silence is uncomfortable, but it is where your margin lives.