Everyday Office Jargon · Vice President level

"Sharpen your pencil"

"Sharpen your pencil" means to produce a better, more competitive, or more detailed proposal, usually in the context of pricing or a bid.

Say this instead: come back with a better offer

How "Sharpen your pencil" shows up at work

Procurement teams love this phrase because it pressures vendors without revealing what the actual target number is. It sounds collegial, but the translation is: your number is too high and we want you to lower it before we tell you what our ceiling is.

Buzzword

If you want to win this contract, you'll need to sharpen your pencil on the pricing.

Plain English

If you want to win this contract, you'll need to come in with a more competitive price.

Corporate Rank: Vice President · Category: Everyday Office Jargon

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