The short answer
Don’t defend the number. Ask what “expensive” is being compared to, put the price next to the cost of the problem in the buyer’s own figures, and ask again plainly. If the money genuinely isn’t there, say so and stop.
The example exchanges on this page use a seller offering a monthly service to the owner of a small business. Swap in your own offer; the structure holds.
What they actually say
The words change; the objection doesn’t. All of these belong on this page:
- “That’s too expensive.”
- “It’s more than I was expecting.”
- “I can get that cheaper somewhere else.”
- “We don’t have the budget for that right now.”
- “What’s your best price?”
- “Can you do any better on that?”
- “I’d need to see if we can afford it.”
What it usually means
“Too expensive” is a sentence, not a diagnosis. The same words come from at least six different places, and each needs a different answer. Your first job is to find out which one you are hearing.
They don’t yet believe it’s worth it
The most common cause. The price is a number in a vacuum because the problem it solves was never given a number. This is a value gap, and it was created earlier in the call, in discovery.
How to tell: The objection arrives the moment you finish the pitch, before they have asked a single question about how it works.
They are comparing it with something cheaper
A competitor, doing it themselves, a relative who “does websites”, or simply doing nothing. Expensive always means expensive compared with something. Until you know what, you are arguing with a ghost.
How to tell: Words like “cheaper”, “elsewhere”, “I’ve seen” or “my mate does”.
They believe in it, but money is tight right now
A timing and cash-flow problem, not a value problem. Re-selling the value here is wasted breath and slightly insulting. The conversation is about when and how, not whether.
How to tell: They talk about when they could pay, not whether it is worth paying.
It is a polite no for another reason
Price is the most socially acceptable way to decline. Behind it may be distrust, a partner who has not been consulted, or a problem they never really admitted to.
How to tell: The objection is vague, and it does not move at all when you address it directly.
It is a negotiating reflex
Some buyers ask for a better price on everything, by habit. It is not an objection so much as a test of whether your price is real.
How to tell: “What’s your best price?” asked early and lightly, often with a smile in the voice.
It genuinely doesn’t fit
Sometimes the buyer is right: the problem is too small, or the budget really is not there. Recognising this quickly is a skill, not a failure.
How to tell: The figures they give you, honestly worked through, do not add up to the price.
Prevent it earlier in the call
The best answer to this objection is usually given before it is raised.
Put a number on the problem during discovery
Ask how often it happens and what one instance is worth to them: a missed enquiry, a lost job, an hour of admin. If the buyer has said “we probably lose two or three jobs a month, each worth about eight hundred”, the price will later be compared with that, not with nothing.
Qualify the budget and the decision early
Ask who else is involved in spending decisions and whether money has been set aside for fixing this. A price objection at the close is often a qualification question that was never asked.
State the price plainly, in the first clause
When they ask what it costs, the number comes first: “It’s four hundred a month, with a setup of twelve hundred.” Explanations before the number sound like an apology and make the number feel bigger.
Then stop talking
The pause after the price is where most sellers lose their nerve and start justifying. Let the number land. Silence is not a problem for you to fix; it is the buyer thinking.
The core move
Whatever style you sell in, the skeleton is the same.
Acknowledge it without agreeing
“That’s a fair thing to raise.” You are showing that the objection did not rattle you. You are not conceding that the price is wrong.
Clarify what it means
“When you say expensive, compared to what?” or “Is it the upfront amount or the monthly that feels high?” One clean question, then let them talk.
Sort it into a category
From the answer, decide which of the six it is: value, comparison, cash flow, smokescreen, reflex or genuine no-fit. Each has a different next move.
Answer the category, in their numbers
Value: set the price next to the figure they gave you. Comparison: find the difference that matters to them. Cash flow: talk about the payment options that genuinely exist. Smokescreen: probe once for the real reason. Reflex: hold the price, calmly. No-fit: say so.
Ask again, plainly
Handling an objection without asking again just ends the conversation politely. “Given that, shall we get you started?”
Accept a second no
Two genuine attempts, then the answer stands. Pushing past a clear refusal costs you the relationship and teaches you nothing.
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.
Direct Close
Direct Close treats a price objection as a maths problem the buyer has not finished. You agree, reframe against the cost of the problem they already described, put a number on it, and ask again on the same call. Payment options exist only if they are real, and they come last, never first.
Example
BuyerFour hundred a month? That’s a lot.
SellerIt’s a real number, fair enough. Earlier you said you lose two or three jobs a month to missed calls, around eight hundred each. How come that feels like less than four hundred?
BuyerI suppose when you put it like that it doesn’t.
SellerSo if it stops even one of those, it’s paid for itself twice. Shall we get you set up now?
Why it works. The buyer supplied every number. The seller only arranged them. Nothing is claimed that the buyer did not say, so there is nothing to argue with.
Where it breaks. It only works if discovery produced real figures. Without them the reframe is invented, and buyers can hear that.
Structured Objection Work
Structured Objection Work refuses to improvise. You classify the objection first, then run the same steps you would run on any real objection: acknowledge, isolate, reframe, re-close. Isolating is the step most sellers skip, and it is the one that exposes smokescreens.
Example
BuyerHonestly, it’s more than I wanted to spend.
SellerUnderstood. If the price worked for you, is there anything else that would stop us going ahead?
BuyerNo, it’s really just the money.
SellerThen let’s look at it properly. You said the missed calls are costing you around two thousand a month. Against that, does four hundred still feel like the problem?
Why it works. Once the buyer confirms price is the only thing in the way, both of you know that solving it means a yes. If they say “well, also…”, you have found the real objection.
Where it breaks. If the isolate question uncovers a different concern, the price answer is wasted. Handle what they actually said.
Permission & Disqualify
Permission & Disqualify never defends and never justifies. A price objection is answered with a question, and often a question that argues against your own interest, so the buyer ends up making your case.
Example
BuyerThat’s too expensive for us.
SellerWhen you say too expensive, what do you mean exactly?
BuyerWell, I wasn’t expecting a monthly cost.
SellerThat’s fair. It may be that fixing this isn’t worth a monthly cost to you at all. Is that where you are?
BuyerNo, it’s worth fixing. I just need to understand what I get each month.
Why it works. By offering the buyer an honest exit, the seller removes the pressure the buyer was bracing against. Buyers who have a real problem tend to argue for fixing it.
Where it breaks. Offering the exit only works if you mean it. If they take it, let them go.
Ethical / Consultative
The consultative style slows down. It goes back to the problem the buyer described, in their words, and checks whether the fit is real. If the fit is poor, it says so. No manufactured urgency, and no pressure to decide today if today is not right.
Example
BuyerIt’s more than I had in mind.
SellerThat’s worth taking seriously. Can I check I understood the problem? You said evening enquiries go unanswered and you think you lose a few jobs a month that way.
BuyerYes, that’s right.
SellerThen the question is whether solving that is worth more to you than the cost. If it isn’t, I’d rather tell you now than sell you something you don’t need.
Why it works. Buyers who distrust salespeople relax when the seller is willing to lose the sale. The decision becomes theirs, which is what makes it stick.
Where it breaks. On a call that has to close today, this style can leave the decision open too long.
Mistakes to avoid
Offering a discount nobody asked for
It tells the buyer the first price was not real, and invites them to push again. A discount you invent on the spot is also a claim you may not be able to honour.
Defending the price with a feature list
Stacking benefits in one breath sounds like panic. The buyer was not asking what they get; they were saying they are not convinced it is worth it.
Dancing around the number
“Well, it depends, there are a few options…” Hesitation before a price makes the number feel bigger when it finally arrives.
Filling the silence after the price
The buyer is working it out. If you speak first, you usually start negotiating against yourself.
Accepting it and ending the call
“No problem, maybe another time.” Treating the objection as a verdict, when it was often a question, leaves the buyer with their doubt and no answer.
Inventing urgency
“The price goes up on Friday.” If it is not true, it is a lie. If it is true but irrelevant to them, it is pressure they will resent.
Arguing
“It’s actually really good value.” You are telling the buyer they are wrong about their own money. Ask; don’t assert.
When to stop
Stop when the figures, honestly worked through, do not support the price, when the buyer has given a clear no twice, or when they ask to end the call. Say it plainly: “It sounds like this isn’t the right fit at the moment, and that’s fine.” A clean ending keeps the door open. A pushy one closes it for good.
Practise it with Selly
Reading about an objection and answering one out loud are different skills. Three short reps:
Rep 1: the clean number
Choose Direct Close in Coach. When the buyer raises price, say the price once, plainly, and count three seconds of silence before you speak again.
Rep 2: isolate first
Choose Structured Objection Work. Before answering the price, ask the isolate question: “If the price worked, is there anything else?” Answer only what they say next.
Rep 3: questions only
Choose Permission & Disqualify. Answer the objection with questions only, and no statements, until you know exactly what “expensive” means to this buyer.
What Selly scores: Selly scores objection handling on four things: did you agree before you answered, reframe it, put a number on it and ask again? Anything invented to win the point, such as a discount, deadline or guarantee that does not exist, fails the call outright.
Questions
Should I ever offer a discount?
Only if a real, pre-approved option exists, and only after you have understood the objection. Lead with it and you train the buyer to push. Payment structure (splitting a setup cost, for example) is often a better answer to a cash-flow problem than a lower price.
What if they say a competitor is cheaper?
Ask what the competitor includes and what matters most to them. Never run the competitor down. If the cheaper option genuinely meets their needs, say so; if it does not, the difference is your answer.
Should I give the price early or late?
When the buyer asks, answer immediately and plainly. Holding the price back makes you look evasive. Before they ask, the price lands better once the problem has a number on it.
How many times should I handle a price objection?
Two genuine attempts. After the second clear no, the answer stands. Thank them and end cleanly.
Is “we don’t have the budget” the same as “too expensive”?
Not quite. “Too expensive” is usually about value; “no budget” is usually about timing or authority. Ask when budget is set and who sets it.