# Price Objection Responses

"It's too expensive" is the least informative sentence in sales. Do not answer it — find
out which of four things it means.

## Ask first
> What are you comparing it to?

Then stop talking. Half the time it's a different scope.

> When you say expensive — is it more than you can spend, or more than it seems worth?

That splits budget from value cleanly.

## The four responses

**1. Comparison problem — re-anchor on scope**
> That's fair — the quote you have covers [X]. Ours includes [Y], which is the part that
> [their stated pain]. If you only need [X], I can quote just that.

**2. Value problem — return to their numbers**
> Earlier you said [their number]. This is [price] against that. Is it the cost you're
> unsure about, or whether we'll actually fix it?

**3. Timing problem — change the timing, not the price**
> If the budget opens in the new quarter, we can start then and hold this rate.

**4. A test — hold, calmly**
> That's the price for this scope. If the budget is fixed lower, I can put together a
> smaller scope that fits — but I wouldn't do the same work for less and cut corners.

## The rule
**Reduce scope, never rate.** Cutting price for the same work tells the buyer the original
number was invented, and they will assume the new one is negotiable too.

## Discount only as a trade, with an end date
Founding-customer rate for case-study rights · multi-month commitment · payment upfront ·
reduced scope.

## Read your close rate

| Close rate | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| Above ~70% | Priced below market. Raise. |
| 40–60% | Roughly right. |
| Below ~25% | Priced above positioning, or wrong buyers. |

A close rate near 100% means every buyer found you cheap.