Counter-Offer Email Template

Re: [Original Subject] — Counter-Proposal from [Your Company]

Hi [Name],

Thank you for sharing your proposal. We appreciate the thoughtfulness and the clear structure — it makes it easy to identify where we're aligned and where we'd like to propose adjustments.

We're aligned on several key points:

• [Term they proposed that you accept — e.g., 12-month contract duration]
• [Another term you accept — e.g., monthly invoicing]
• [Third term you accept — e.g., scope as outlined in section 2]

On the following points, we'd like to propose adjustments:

• [Term 1 — e.g., Pricing]: Your proposed [their number] is [below market / above our budget]. We'd suggest [your counter] based on [justification]. This is a [X%] adjustment that we believe reflects [fair market value / the actual scope / industry standard].

• [Term 2 — e.g., Payment Terms]: Rather than [their terms], we propose [your terms]. This gives both parties [benefit — e.g., better cash flow alignment].

• [Term 3 — e.g., Scope/Timeline]: We'd like to adjust [specific scope item] to [your proposal]. This ensures [quality / timeliness / resource allocation].

We believe these adjustments create a stronger foundation for both parties and set the partnership up for success. Happy to discuss any of these points further.

Best,
[Your Name]