The short answer
Don’t cut your price straight away and don’t criticise the competitor. Ask what the other quote includes, compare like with like, and explain any real difference in the buyer’s terms. If the offers are the same, the cheaper one may be the right choice for them.
The example exchanges on this page use a seller cold calling the owner of a small business about a monthly service. The buyer has another quote in hand.
What they actually say
The words change; the objection doesn’t. All of these belong on this page:
- “Someone else quoted us less.”
- “I can get it cheaper elsewhere.”
- “Your competitor is half the price.”
- “We’ve had a lower quote.”
- “Can you match their price?”
- “Why would I pay more for the same thing?”
What it usually means
The other quote may be real, rough, or a negotiating move. Which one it is changes what you should do.
A real, comparable quote
They have a lower price for the same thing. That is a real problem for you.
How to tell: They know the details: what it includes, the term, the provider.
A different offer at a lower price
The other quote covers less, or works differently, and they have not noticed.
How to tell: They know the price, but not much about what it includes.
A negotiating move
They like your offer and want a better price.
How to tell: “Can you match it?” said early, or a figure with no provider attached.
A reason not to decide
Price is a safe thing to object to when the real doubt is somewhere else.
How to tell: The comparison is vague and the conversation keeps drifting.
Prevent it earlier in the call
The best answer to this objection is usually given before it is raised.
Establish value before price
If the buyer has said what the problem costs them, a price difference is weighed against that, not just against another number.
Ask about other options early
“Are you looking at anyone else?” in discovery lets you learn about competitors before they become an objection.
The core move
Whatever style you sell in, the skeleton is the same.
Acknowledge it
“That’s worth knowing. Thanks for telling me.”
Ask what it includes
The term, the service, what is and is not covered. You cannot compare prices without knowing what they buy.
Compare like with like
Line the two offers up on the points that matter to this buyer.
Explain real differences in their terms
Only differences that are true and that matter to them. Not a list of features.
If they are the same, say so
Admitting that the cheaper offer fits their needs builds more trust than a defensive pitch.
Move on price only after that
If you can flex, do it once, and for a reason. Never as your first response.
How each style handles it
The selling styles in Coach agree on the skeleton and disagree on almost everything else: tone, pace, and how hard to push. Here is the same objection through four of them.
Structured Objection Work
Structured Objection Work runs its usual shape: acknowledge, clarify, answer, confirm.
Example
BuyerSomeone quoted us less.
SellerThanks for telling me. Do you know what their quote includes?
BuyerSame thing, I think. Monthly service.
SellerWorth checking. Does it include support, and is there a minimum term? If those match, the cheaper one might suit you.
Why it works. Clarifying turns a vague number into specific points the buyer can check for themselves.
Where it breaks. The shape is not a way to talk them out of a fair comparison. If the offers match, say so.
Answer-Led Questioning
Answer-Led Questioning asks the question whose answer makes the comparison clear.
Example
BuyerYour competitor is cheaper.
SellerCould be. When you compared, what mattered most: the price, or what you get for it?
BuyerHonestly, making sure calls get answered.
SellerThen that’s the thing to compare. Does their offer cover calls after hours?
Why it works. It moves the comparison to what the buyer said matters, not the headline figure.
Where it breaks. The question has to be a real one. If their offer covers it, the cheaper option wins on the buyer’s own terms.
Ethical / Consultative
Ethical / Consultative selling helps the buyer compare fairly, even if the other quote wins.
Example
BuyerI can get this cheaper.
SellerThen you should look at it properly. Shall I go through what we include, so you can compare line by line?
BuyerYes, that would help.
SellerOkay. Start with the term: ours is month to month. What’s theirs?
Why it works. Helping the buyer compare honestly makes you the trustworthy option, whatever they choose.
Where it breaks. Only state facts you know about your own offer. Do not guess at the competitor’s.
High-Pressure Certainty
High-Pressure Certainty holds the price and the value with confidence, and asks once for the decision.
Example
BuyerSomeone else is cheaper.
SellerThey might be. We’re not the cheapest, and we don’t try to be. You told me missed calls are costing you jobs, and that’s what this fixes. Shall we get it set up?
BuyerLet me compare first.
SellerFair enough. When will you have looked at both?
Why it works. Certainty about your own price tells the buyer it is not an opening bid.
Where it breaks. The certainty is about your offer, never about the competitor’s. One ask, and a clear no ends it.
Mistakes to avoid
Cutting the price at once
An immediate discount tells the buyer your first price was not real.
Running down the competitor
You do not know their offer, and the buyer may have used them before. Criticism sounds desperate.
Guessing what they include
“They probably don’t include support” is a claim you cannot back up.
Comparing features, not needs
A long list of extras the buyer does not care about makes the price gap look worse, not better.
When to stop
If the other offer covers what the buyer needs for less, say so and end the call warmly. Leave the door open rather than offering a last-minute discount.
Practise it with Selly
Reading about an objection and answering one out loud are different skills. Three short reps:
Rep 1: ask before you answer
Choose Structured Objection Work. When the buyer mentions a cheaper quote, ask what it includes before saying anything about your own offer.
Rep 2: no guesses
Listen back for any claim about the competitor that you could not know. Say it again without it.
Rep 3: hold the price once
Choose High-Pressure Certainty. Hold your price with one clear reason tied to what the buyer told you, then ask once.
What Selly scores: Selly treats a cheaper quote as a price objection. A claim about a competitor you cannot know, or about a problem the buyer never mentioned, counts as an invented claim, and an invented claim fails the call outright.
Questions
Should I match a competitor’s price?
Not as a first response. Find out what the other quote includes first. If you do move on price, do it once, and for a reason.
Is it all right to say my product is better?
Only in specific, true ways that matter to this buyer, and never by criticising the competitor.
What if they will not tell me what the other quote includes?
Ask what matters most to them and explain how your offer handles that. Let them make the comparison.
What if the competitor really is better value?
Say so. It may cost you this sale, but it keeps your word worth something on the next call.