This article helps you understand negotiation for an Ad Manager programmatic proposal. We'll cover the following topics:
Negotiation overview
If you talked with a buyer about a campaign, you can start a proposal in Ad Manager to begin negotiation. Alternatively, buyers can initiate proposals from Marketplace and send them to your Ad Manager network. Negotiation is the same whether you or the buyer start a proposal. Both you and the buyer can modify and send the proposal back and forth until you're both satisfied with the details.
When you're ready to finalize, send a request for acceptance. A request for acceptance means you are ready to close the deal. Once the buyer accepts, the proposal is sold and finalized—Ad Manager creates corresponding orders and line items for delivery. Request acceptance only if you're certain that the details of proposal are acceptable to you.
Proposals and proposal line items are used for the purpose of negotiating and finalizing a campaign. Order and line items are used for the purpose of delivery of a campaign. Only when both you and the buyer accept the terms in a proposal does Ad Manager create or update its corresponding order and line items.
Before a proposal is finalized, you have a couple of options:
- While negotiating, you can reserve inventory at any time. You might want to reserve inventory if you're still negotiating details but want to ensure the specific inventory the buyer wants is secured. If you don't reserve, Ad Manager reserves inventory when the buyer accepts the proposal.
- At any time during negotiation, or after you've sent a request for acceptance but the buyer has not yet accepted, you can also choose to terminate negotiation. You cannot terminate negotiation on a proposal that is finalized.
After a proposal is finalized, you have a couple of other options:
- Make additional changes. Some changes trigger renegotiation, while others can simply be pushed to the delivery order or line items. Learn more about how to change sold proposals.
- Pause or resume delivery. Learn more in Pause and resume programmatic proposals.
You may be able to archive a proposal depending on its phase of negotiation or delivery. Learn more about how to archive proposals and proposal line items.
Phases of negotiation
Every proposal goes through three phases. You can monitor these phases using a progress bar at the top at of every proposal.
- In review: The proposal is under negotiation between you and the buyer. Changes are still being made and details haven't yet been fully agreed.
- Buyer acceptance: You've reached agreement. Only you can send a request for acceptance to the buyer, and only the buyer can accept your formal offer.
- Finalized: The buyer has accepted your formal offer and the proposal is considered sold. To ensure there are no delays in Ad Manager serving, make sure proposals are finalized at least 12 hours before the earliest proposal line item's start time. It is best practice to leave at least 24 hours between the configuration time of the deal by the Display & Video 360 buyer and the start time of the deal line item, to allow for buyside creative scans and approvals.
Proposal versions
As you negotiate, there could be multiple versions of a proposal. Ad Manager assists you by highlighting new values. Learn more in Manage proposal versions.
Discard draft
A Discard draft option is available after you send a proposal to the buyer for the first time and you are actively negotiating. This option reverts the proposal to the last version sent by the buyer or the last finalized version. Learn more in Manage proposal versions.
Request acceptance
A request for acceptance is a formal offer and can only ever originate from you, the seller. Even if the buyer initiates the proposal, only you can initiate a formal offer. When you request acceptance, the buyer is the only party who can formally accept.
Request acceptance only if the details of proposal are acceptable and you're ready to close the deal. Once accepted, the proposal is sold and Ad Manager duplicates the settings and targeting from the proposal and its proposal line items into a corresponding order and line items for delivery.
When you request acceptance, the buyer has the option to propose more changes instead of accepting. The request for acceptance is withdrawn in the case, and the buyer can only send the proposal back to you for your review.
Retract proposals
If you've sent a request for acceptance, but the buyer has not yet accepted, you can also retract a proposal. When you do so, the request for acceptance is withdrawn and the buyer can no longer accept. You and the buyer can then continue to negotiate terms.
To retract a proposal:
- Navigate to the proposal you want to retract.
Go to Sales
Proposals
- Click the name of the proposal to go to its details.
- Click Retract.
If you weren't able to retract before the buyer accepted, you can still reopen the proposal to renegotiate terms or pause delivery.
Send for review
If you want to send a proposal to a buyer but aren't ready to close the deal, click the drop-down menu (▼) next to "Request acceptance", and then Send for review. When you send for review, the buyer cannot accept the proposal. The buyer can only respond with changes or a message.
You have a couple of options after sending for review:
- If you decide the version sent for review is acceptable and ready to close, you can click Request acceptance directly from the proposal. Ad Manager updates the proposal on the buyer's side, where it can be accepted or more changes proposed.
- If you want to make more changes to the version sent for review, click Edit at the top of the proposal. Make changes and send the new version for review or request acceptance. Ad Manager overwrites the previous version sent. Learn more on how to manage proposal version.
Otherwise, you can wait for the buyer to respond.
