If you're managing sales ops or running a sales team, you know pricing can turn into the Wild West fast. Reps go off-script, margins disappear, and approvals get stuck in limbo. This guide is for anyone who wants to set up clear pricing rules and discount approvals in Dealhub, so you spend less time policing deals and more time closing them.
Let's walk through the practical steps—what works, what doesn't, and how to avoid common headaches.
Why bother with pricing rules and discount approval?
Before we jump in, let's be honest: most teams set up pricing rules not because it's fun, but because experience has taught them what happens without them. No rules means:
- Reps discounting too much just to get deals done
- Deals hanging for days waiting for manager approval
- Finance asking "who approved this?" every quarter
Setting up strong pricing rules and a sane approval process in Dealhub means:
- Sales reps know what they can do—less second-guessing
- Approvals happen faster, and only when needed
- You protect your margins (and your sanity)
Step 1: Map out your pricing logic before you touch Dealhub
Dealhub is flexible, but it's not psychic. If you don't know your rules, the tool can't help you. Before logging in, answer these questions:
- What are your standard prices for each product or service?
- Are there volume-based discounts? Tiers? Bundles?
- Who can approve what level of discount?
- What’s the “floor” (lowest price) for each product, and is it different by region, customer type, or deal size?
- Do you want to block certain deals, or just flag them for approval?
Pro tip: Write out your rules in plain English, not just in a spreadsheet. If you can’t explain them to a new rep, they’re too complicated.
Step 2: Build your product and price book in Dealhub
You can't set rules without a foundation. Start by making sure your product catalog is up to date in Dealhub.
- Go to the Products section and add every product or service you sell.
- For each item, set the standard price and unit of measure.
- If you have different versions, regions, or currencies, add those as separate entries, or use Dealhub’s grouping features.
What works: Keeping your price book simple. Only add what you actually sell. Old SKUs and one-off deals just clutter things up.
What to skip: Don’t try to build every possible bundle or configuration right away. Focus on your bread-and-butter deals first.
Step 3: Set up pricing rules in Dealhub
This is where you tell Dealhub what’s allowed, and what’s not.
How to do it:
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Head to the Pricing Rules engine
Find the Pricing or Rules section in the admin panel. (Dealhub’s navigation changes, but it’s usually under “Configuration” or “Pricing Logic.”) -
Create base rules for each product or group
Set the standard price, then add any logic for quantity discounts, bundles, or customer types. -
Example: “If quantity > 100, apply 10% discount.”
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Example: “If customer type = Partner, allow 5% off.”
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Define min/max discount thresholds
For every rule, set: - Minimum allowed price/maximum discount: The lowest price a rep can offer without triggering an approval.
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Maximum allowed price: (Optional, but good for showing list price ceilings.)
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Add conditional logic
Dealhub lets you build “if-then” statements based on deal size, customer, geography, etc. Don’t overcomplicate this in round one. Start with the basics (deal size, new vs. renewal, strategic accounts).
What works:
- Start with a handful of clear rules. You can always add edge cases later.
- Test your rules with real scenarios—don’t just trust the preview.
What to ignore:
- Don’t get lost in endless exceptions (“but what if it’s a friend of the CEO on a leap year?”). Document those separately.
Step 4: Set up discount approval workflows
Rules are great, but sometimes a deal needs a human sign-off. That’s where approval workflows come in.
How to do it:
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Go to the Approval Workflow section
Usually found under “Workflows” or “Approval Chains” in Dealhub’s admin settings. -
Define your approval triggers
- Set triggers based on rules from Step 3. For example, “If discount > 15%, require Sales Manager approval.”
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You can also trigger approvals for things like margin below X%, or special payment terms.
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Assign approvers
- Assign roles, not just people. (“Sales Manager” instead of “Bob.”)
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Set up backup approvers for when someone’s on vacation.
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Decide on sequential vs. parallel approvals
- Sequential: Each approver signs off one after the other. Good for complex deals.
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Parallel: All approvers get notified at once. Faster, but riskier if no one’s really paying attention.
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Set time limits (optional but smart)
- Keep deals moving by setting SLAs—e.g., “If not approved in 24 hours, escalate to next level.”
What works:
- Build the simplest chain that gets the job done. More approvers = more delays, not more control.
- Use “escalation” rules only for big deals or major exceptions.
What to skip:
- Avoid sending every deal through approval “just in case.” Trust the pricing rules to catch most issues.
Step 5: Test your setup with real deals
Don’t wait for a live deal to find out your rules are broken. Use Dealhub’s sandbox or test environment to run real scenarios:
- Have a rep build a deal with standard pricing—should go through with no approval.
- Try a deal at the minimum allowed price—does it flag for approval?
- Test a “red flag” deal (massive discount, weird product combo)—does it get blocked or escalated?
What works:
- Get feedback from real users (“this is too strict” or “I found a loophole”).
- Adjust rules based on real-world pushback.
What to ignore:
- Don’t obsess over testing every single permutation. Cover your most common situations, and check edge cases as they come up.
Step 6: Roll out, train, and iterate
Once you’ve tested, roll out your rules to the team:
- Host a quick session to walk reps through what’s changed. Focus on the “why.”
- Share a short cheat sheet with the big rules and approval steps.
- Make it easy to report issues or request exceptions.
Pro tip: Stay open to feedback. Your first version won’t be perfect, and reps will find ways to break things—sometimes for good reasons.
Common mistakes to watch out for
- Overcomplicating rules: If your team needs a PhD to figure out discounts, you’ll just get more side emails and “special cases.”
- Approval bottlenecks: Too many approvers slows everything down. If deals are stalling, cut the chain.
- Forgetting to update rules: Outdated price books and rules are worse than none at all. Review quarterly.
- Ignoring edge cases: If you see the same “exception” deal every week, time to write a rule for it.
Final thoughts: Keep it simple, and review often
Setting up pricing rules and discount approval in Dealhub isn’t rocket science, but it does take some up-front thinking. Start with your most common scenarios, keep your rules easy to follow, and don’t be afraid to adjust as you go. The goal isn’t to lock everything down forever—it’s to give your team guardrails so you can move faster and protect your margins.
Simple rules, clear approvals, and a dose of common sense will save you a lot of headaches later. Good luck!