Sales team gives discounts without asking

This is one cause behind related problems such as Small orders are eating our time. No written discount limits, so each salesperson decides alone. The checks below concentrate on this cause rather than repeating the full symptom diagnosis. The sales coordinator usually hears about this through a phone call or a last-minute request. No written discount limits, so each salesperson decides alone. A usable fix starts with evidence and one person accountable for the next decision.

What it looks like

• The sales coordinator has to search the enquiry register and order book before answering a routine question.
• No written discount limits, so each salesperson decides alone.
• Staff cannot locate the accepted quotation or customer confirmation for the latest case.
• People spot the gap after a customer gets a commitment that nobody has checked.
• The open case has no documented owner, due date or proof of closure.

Why it happens

The specific failure is left unchecked. No written discount limits, so each salesperson decides alone. If there is no recorded owner for that condition, the effect travels to the next team.

The work and its evidence move separately. Requests enter through several people and channels. Without one accepted commercial record, sales cannot reliably distinguish an enquiry from an order.

A later hand-off exposes the gap. Prices, terms and commitments are often confirmed by conversation while the approved record remains unchanged.

The less obvious cause: A control may exist on paper but still fail in practice. Test whether someone actually performs this check: check message approvals for rate exceptions.

Find the first failed hand-off before changing staff targets. A completed register alone cannot prove that physical work happened.

What to check first

1. Read five recent invoices and compare discounts with approved price lists. Compare dates, quantities and references. Mark an unconfirmed difference as unverified. Finish the first pass in under 30 minutes and name the missing source if needed.
2. Check message approvals for rate exceptions. Record the affected item or party and the person who can verify the detail. Finish the first pass in under 30 minutes and name the missing source if needed.
3. Calculate margin after the discount, freight and payment terms. Mark each exception open, waiting for evidence or resolved, with a named next owner. Finish the first pass in under 30 minutes and name the missing source if needed.

How to fix it

1. Start with one live case. Read five recent invoices and compare discounts with approved price lists. Keep the source reference before changing the record.
2. Make the control explicit. Publish salesperson discount limits by product and customer class. Put the rule in the register or sheet that staff already use.
3. Set a second guardrail. Flag below-floor prices for owner approval before sending the quote. Check the customer terms, item specification, rate and delivery promise before treating an enquiry as a firm order.
4. Assign the next decision. The sales coordinator records the action and its due date. A separately authorised person signs off changes affecting money, safety or customer terms.
5. Review the open list. Start with items affecting today or tomorrow. Keep third-party commitments separate from completed actions.
6. Check whether the rule holds. For four weeks, count requests or accepted orders left without a recorded next action. Reopen repeat cases and identify where the control failed.

Copy this enquiry and order exception register into a register or sheet:

Retain the source reference and limit access to authorised staff.

A worked example

Illustrative example only. A distributor gives an unapproved 8% discount on a ₹1,25,000 order and loses ₹10,000 revenue. Start by locating the source that would verify these amounts or quantities. The sales coordinator records the exact exception, gives it an owner and checks the next relevant event. This example shows how to structure the decision. It does not claim that a business achieved a saving or avoided a loss.

How you know it is fixed

• Completeness: Count requests or accepted orders left without a recorded next action at the same time every week. Record the count and the oldest item, rather than just saying things are better.
• Timeliness: Check whether the assigned person took the next action before the agreed cut-off. Keep missed dates visible instead of replacing them silently.
• Proof of closure: Sample three closed cases and locate the accepted quotation or customer confirmation. A tick without supporting evidence is still an open control gap.

When it is more serious

Prices fall below cost or a contractual rate is broken. Hold irreversible decisions until the material facts are verified. For contracts, tax, wages or legal rights, retain source documents and consult a qualified adviser. Repeated exceptions after four reviews may require changing the control.

This works if someone does it every day. In most businesses, that someone is you.

Questions people ask

What should we check before taking action?

Read five recent invoices and compare discounts with approved price lists. Keep its date and reference. Then compare it with the accepted quotation or customer confirmation; if they disagree, record the difference before changing either one.

Who should own the next action?

The sales coordinator should own the open item. The person authorised to change money, a technical standard or a customer commitment must still approve that decision.

Can we run this control without new software?

No. Start with a shared sheet or register containing the reference, owner, promised date, status and evidence. Once those fields are reliable, decide whether a system connection is worth setting up.

When is the issue serious enough to escalate?

Prices fall below cost or a contractual rate is broken. Keep supporting records and get specialist help where relevant.