It’s the objection every business hears, from $50 services to $50,000 contracts: “It’s too expensive.”
Most people respond in one of two ways. They discount on the spot, or they get defensive and start listing features. Both usually lose the sale, or win it at a price that hurts.
What “too expensive” usually means
It’s rarely about the number itself. It usually means one of three things:
- “I don’t see the value yet.” The price looks big because the result looks small or uncertain.
- “I’m comparing you to the wrong thing.” A cheaper option that doesn’t actually solve the problem.
- “The money is there, but it’s set aside for other things.” A priority question, not an ability question.
What to say
“I appreciate you being straight with me. Too expensive compared to what?”
Then listen. Their answer tells you which of the three you’re dealing with. Next, connect the price to the cost of their problem:
“Earlier you said this is costing you about $X a month. Over a year that’s $Y. This is $Z. Setting the money aside for a second, do you believe this would fix it?”
- If they say yes: it’s cash flow. Offer a payment plan or a smaller first step.
- If they say no: the real problem is belief in the result. Go back and show how it solves their specific situation, with proof from someone similar.
The mistake that makes it worse
Dropping your price immediately. It tells the buyer your first number wasn’t real, and makes them wonder what else isn’t. If you do adjust, change the scope, not the price: “We could start with just this part for $X.”
Prevent it before it happens
The best way to handle price objections is to prevent them. When you discover the real cost of the customer’s problem early in the conversation, your price looks small next to it by the time you say it.
Hearing price objections a lot can also mean the offer itself needs work. The free Mirrorline Audit shows whether your biggest leak is your offer, your sales conversations or something else, in two minutes.
If it is the conversation, we cover this and nine other objections with word-for-word answers in The Obsidian Technique. For more on the most common one, read How to Answer “I Need to Think About It”.