Closing the Deal
契約をまとめる
A few days later, Halden invited the team back to the final terms, and this time the mood was noticeably brighter.
Ms. Sorensen came straight to the point, saying that her board was willing to if the details could be agreed.
"What we need," she explained, "is about both the price and the delivery date."
Kenji had prepared thoroughly, and he knew that it was flexibility, not , that would close this deal.
"Provided that you can confirm the order by the end of the month, we can the current price," he offered.
It was the timeline, rather than the cost, that had worried Halden most, and Kenji addressed it head-on.
"If the volumes turn out to be larger, we're prepared to offer a discount," he added carefully.
Ms. Sorensen raised an eyebrow, clearly pleased, though she was too experienced to show it fully.
"And what happens if there are delays on your side?" she asked, testing the strength of his promise.
"If we miss a deadline, we'll cover the difference ourselves," Kenji replied. "That's how confident we are."
It was precisely this willingness to share the risk that seemed to tip the balance in their favour.
Marco, watching closely, marvelled at how calm Kenji remained even as the numbers grew larger.
"There is one condition," Ms. Sorensen said. "The contract must be approved by our board next Friday."
What she wanted, it became clear, was a short presentation that would convince the board to sign.
"We'd be glad to present," Kenji said, without the slightest hesitation, though his heart was beating fast.
They spent the next hour working through the finer points, from payment schedules to support arrangements.
Wherever a disagreement arose, Kenji looked for a solution that would allow both sides to feel they had won.
"If we can be on payment, could you be on the start date?" he proposed.
Ms. Sorensen agreed, and one by one the remaining obstacles were quietly removed.
By the end of the meeting, they had reached an that satisfied everyone in the room.
"Assuming the board says yes," she said, "I think this could be the beginning of a long partnership."
Kenji thanked her warmly, careful not to celebrate before the deal was truly done.
On the way out, Sofia could barely contain her excitement at how far they had come.
"You do realise what this means?" she said. "If the board approves, this will be our biggest contract of the year."
"If," Kenji reminded her gently, though even he allowed himself a small, hopeful smile.
Everything, he knew, would now depend on a single presentation, and there was very little time to prepare.