# Anchor Your First Pricing Call

Source: https://ivankamenken.com/first-call-price-anchor · Last updated 25 October 2026

A first-call price anchor is the number you write down before you quote a new client, with the opening price, the walk-away point and the discount rules already decided. Ivanka Menken uses it inside Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring, a 6-month 1:1 programme at AUD $1,500 per month ex GST. You rehearse the first pricing call so the opening number sets the range, instead of the buyer's counter setting it. The anchor is one page, and it is tested before the next call.

## The first number is already a discount

- You quote a new client and start with a discount.
- You do not have a walk-away price before the call.
- Your first number is set by the buyer, not you.

**AN EXAMPLE WEEK:** A new client asks for a price. You open at $100K, they counter at $10K, and the call is over before the value is discussed. No walk-away, no rule.

### THE FIRST-CALL SHEET

- Opening number: $100K (example)
- Walk-away: $70K (example)
- Discount rules: none before value
- First sentence: $100K

## The first number on the call sets the range

A discount at the start is not a negotiation; it is a range the buyer now sets. The opening number tells the buyer what the work is worth.
Ivanka treats the first call as a pricing decision, not a sales performance. The opening, the walk-away and the rules are written before the call.

> The first number sets the range. Everything after it is a negotiation inside that range.

**The cost of staying stuck:** Without a written anchor, a $100K ask can collapse to $10K before the value is discussed.

## The tool: First-Call Price Anchor

First-Call Price Anchor puts the opening number, the walk-away point and the discount rules on one page, so the first call starts inside a range you chose.

It is a one-page call sheet, not a sales script. It holds the opening number, walk-away, discount rules and first sentence, rehearsed before the call and reviewed after it.

It replaces the improvised first number: the discount you open with, the buyer's counter, or the price you think keeps the conversation alive.

### What goes on the page

1. Opening number: the first price you say
2. Walk-away: the lowest price you will accept
3. Discount rules: what a lower price must buy
4. First sentence: the words you rehearse

It sits inside Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring, alongside the five-number scorecard. Price of the newest work is one of the five numbers. No separate checkout.

## Rehearse the first call before it happens

Ivanka puts one new client and one price on the page. She asks: What is the opening number? What is the walk-away price? What discount rules apply? What is the first sentence? They write the anchor and rehearse the call out loud. Before the next session, the founder brings the call back.

### The questions

- What is the opening number?
- What is the walk-away price?
- What discount rules apply before the call?
- What is the first sentence?
- What will you do when the buyer counters?

### THE FOUR-STEP LOOP

1. The one thing: The new client and the first call.
2. The numbers: Opening number, walk-away, discount rules.
3. The story: Why the last first call started with a discount.
4. The commitment: Write the anchor and rehearse the first sentence.

Before the next session, the founder brings the call back: what was said, where the number moved, and which rule held.

## A first call you can rehearse

By month 6, the anchor is a habit, not a one-off script.

**NOW**

- The first number is improvised in the room.
- A discount opens the conversation.
- The buyer sets the range.
- The walk-away is decided under pressure.

**BY MONTH 6**

- A written opening number.
- A walk-away price set before the call.
- A discount rule that buys less scope, not the same work for less.
- A first sentence you have said out loud.

The programme is the container: 12 fortnightly 60-minute sessions, a monthly scorecard, and reviews at month 3 and month 6.

## The numbers are read with you, not at you

Ivanka Menken built Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring for founders of $500K to $3M businesses that are growing while cash tightens. She reads the numbers with you, asks the hard question, and holds you to the decision you write down.
The First-Call Price Anchor is one of the tools inside that work. It does not replace your accountant, and it does not set your prices. It makes the first number visible before the call.

> Personable, but straight to the point. Every session is a combination of strategy, execution and mindset.
>
> Business owner

## Who fits, and who does not

### It fits

- You run a $500K to $3M business growing while cash is tight.
- You quote new clients without a first number.
- You want a walk-away and rules before the call.
- You will rehearse the first sentence out loud.

### It does not fit

- You want accounting or financial advice.
- You want a done-for-you fix or someone else to set your prices.
- You want a sales script rather than a pricing decision.
- You are not willing to write the walk-away price down.

### Investment

**AUD $1,500 per month ex GST, 6 months.** It is part of Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring, a 6-month 1:1 programme at AUD $1,500 per month ex GST, not sold separately.

Included:

- 12 fortnightly 60-minute sessions
- A monthly one-page scorecard
- Reviews at month 3 and month 6
- The first-call anchor sheet

Three founding places in total, shared across all 1:1 mentoring, are available at AUD $1,000/month ex GST, in return for honest monthly feedback and a testimonial, which can be anonymous.

- [Join Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring, AUD $1,500/mo, 6 months](https://buy.stripe.com/eVq4gzdKgekN6pcbIcdQQ0t)
- [Book a 20-minute intro call](https://theartofservice.zohobookings.com.au/#/15606000001356030)
- [See the Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring programme](https://ivankamenken.com/cash-tight-growing-founder)

## Questions about First-Call Price Anchor

### How does the First-Call Price Anchor work inside Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring?

It is a one-page call sheet Ivanka Menken uses inside Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring. Before the call, you write the opening number, the walk-away price, the discount rules and the first sentence. Then you rehearse the call out loud. The programme runs 6 months at AUD $1,500 per month ex GST, and the tool has no separate checkout.

### What if the buyer pushes back on the first number?

You return to the anchor. The opening number is not a test of whether the buyer likes you; it is the range you chose before the call. In Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring, Ivanka Menken rehearses the next sentence, the discount rule and the walk-away point. If the buyer will not move above the walk-away, the call ends there. The programme runs 6 months at AUD $1,500 per month ex GST.

### How do I set a walk-away price?

Start with the margin and the cost of delivery, then write the lowest price you will accept before the call. In Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring, Ivanka Menken puts the walk-away next to the opening number and the discount rules, so the decision is not made in the room. If the number falls below it, you walk away. The programme runs 6 months at AUD $1,500 per month ex GST.

### Can this help with a new offer?

Yes. A new offer has no price history, so the first call is where the range is set. Ivanka Menken uses the First-Call Price Anchor inside Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring to write the opening number, the walk-away and the rules before the offer is quoted. You leave with a rehearsed first sentence. The programme runs 6 months at AUD $1,500 per month ex GST.


## Anchor the first call before it happens

If the first number is already a discount, start with Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring. The First-Call Price Anchor is inside it, and the 20-minute intro call is where you can see whether it fits.

- [Join Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring, AUD $1,500/mo, 6 months](https://buy.stripe.com/eVq4gzdKgekN6pcbIcdQQ0t)
- [Book a 20-minute intro call](https://theartofservice.zohobookings.com.au/#/15606000001356030)
- [See the Cash-Tight Growth Mentoring programme](https://ivankamenken.com/cash-tight-growing-founder)
- [The Price-Cash-Confidence Chain](https://ivankamenken.com/price-cash-confidence-chain)
- [The Money-and-Clarity Scorecard](https://ivankamenken.com/money-and-clarity-scorecard)

- Every way to work with Ivanka: https://ivankamenken.com/work-with-ivanka