How to handle price objections before they're voiced

Marcus Sheridan built the pool company River Pools, so he knows about selling something expensive. He says people pick the cheapest option when nobody has shown them the difference:

"Ignorance is what causes somebody to say, 'I'll just go with the cheap guy.'" Marcus Sheridan, River Pools, on the Marketing Speak podcast

That's good news, because you can fix it. You can explain your price before the doubt sets in.

What "too expensive" really means

Those two words can mean several things. Each one has its own fix, and you can make most of these fixes before the person ever talks to you.

Not all of these are about money. "Too expensive" is also a polite way to say no, because nobody can check it. People say it when they mean "I don't believe you yet."

To find your biggest one, read your last 20 messages from people who didn't buy. Match each message to a row in the table. Start with the row that gets the most.

Seven things to do before anyone says it

Use only the wording below that's true for your business, and swap in your own numbers.

1. Put a number on your website

It's normal to worry that a price will scare people off. Sheridan argues the missing price does more harm. Buyers look for a price, and if they can't find it in about 10 seconds, he says they leave and find someone who will tell them.

You don't need a full price list. His company wrote one article on what a pool costs. By his own count, it brought in $35 million in sales, and it never gave an exact number.

A range is enough:

• A repair business: "Most bathroom repairs cost $180 to $400. We confirm the price before we start."
• A coach: "Most clients spend $1,200 to $2,400, depending on how many sessions they need."
• A wedding photographer: "Most couples spend $2,500 to $4,000."

"But every job is different." True. You still explain what it depends on every time you're on the phone, so write that down too.

If you're a local service business, do the same on Google. Go to your Business Profile, select Edit services, pick a service, add a price and save. Not every type of business gets this option.

2. Show the whole total early

A surprise makes a fair price feel unfair. Researchers at Baymard asked US online shoppers why they'd left a cart without buying. Set aside the ones who were just browsing, and 4 in 10 of the rest blamed extra costs like shipping, tax and fees. That was the top reason.

Put the real number where people decide:

• A shop: "$38, and that includes shipping."
• A service: "That price covers parts, labor and cleanup. If anything changes, you say yes first."
• A quote: Put the total at the top. Don't let them find "plus materials" on page two.

3. Explain why your price is your price

Answer three questions in plain words: what makes the price go up, why some companies charge less, and where you sit. It takes a few lines. A cleaner might write:

"Some cleaners charge less because they send whoever is free that day. We send the same two people every week, and we pay them properly. That's why we cost a bit more than the cheapest quote you'll get."

You've now said the objection for them, out loud, and answered it. That takes the sting out, and it reads like someone with nothing to hide. Say it first:

• "Yes, we cost more than a template. You get a person who sets it up and answers your emails."
• "Yes, you can find this cheaper. Ours is made to order, so it fits."

4. Give them something better to compare it with

People judge a price by whatever is next to it. If you leave that space empty, they'll fill it with the cheapest thing they can think of. So choose what sits beside your number:

• What doing nothing costs: "A yearly tune-up is $120. A new furnace is about $4,000."
• What doing it themselves costs: "You could do this yourself. It takes most people two weekends."
• What each use costs: "$90 for a pair you'll wear twice a week for years."

Give them more than one option, too. A single price asks "yes or no?" Two or three options ask "which one?" Make sure the smallest one is something you're happy to sell.

5. Make paying easier

Some people want it and can't pay it all today. You can spot them because they ask about deposits and dates. A simple line does the job:

• "$1,200 for 8 sessions, or $300 a month for 4 months."
• "$500 to book your date. The rest is due on the day."

Only offer what you can afford to wait for.

6. Prove it and take away the risk

The higher the price, the more it hurts to get it wrong. So your proof should sit right beside your price.

Northwestern researchers found that showing reviews got more people to buy. It helped pricier products about twice as much as cheaper ones. Pick a real review that talks about the price. "I almost went with the cheaper quote, and I'm glad I didn't" beats "Great service!" Your customers have probably said something like it already, so go and ask them.

Then lower the risk, if you can stand behind it:

• "If the first session isn't useful, tell me within 7 days and I'll refund you."
• "Free returns for 30 days. We send the label."

7. If you send quotes, ask about budget first

Don't spend three evenings on a quote for someone who had half that in mind. Sandler, a sales training company, puts it simply: talk about money before you build the offer. Ask on the first call:

"Most jobs like this cost $2,000 to $4,000. Does that fit what you had in mind?"

If that number is a problem, you've found out in 30 seconds. Nobody's feelings got hurt, and your evening is free.

What people want to know about price also changes as they move along the customer journey. Someone who just found you wants a rough idea. Someone about to buy wants the exact total. Give each one the answer that fits, at the point they're asking.

Stop cutting your price before anyone asks

It's 11 p.m., the quote is ready, nobody has complained, and you knock 10% off anyway. That's a negotiation you held with yourself, and you still lost.

A quick discount can cost you more than money. Sandler gives this example: you quote $12,800, the buyer hoped for about $10,000, and you offer $11,500. You may save the sale, but you look less honest. If you could do it for $11,500, why did you say $12,800?

So if you do lower a price, get something back or take something out. Then the new price makes sense:

• "I can do $900 if we skip the second coat."
• "I can do that price if you pay in full today."
• "I can do that if we book a weekday."

Check what the trade really costs you first. Richardson, a sales training firm, tells of a seller who agreed to ship paper on half-size pallets. It sounded like nothing. It meant twice as many truck trips, and the extra cost wiped out what they'd gained on price.

What to say if they say it anyway

Some people will still bring it up. That's fine. They're still talking to you, so they're still interested. This is the same way you'd handle other sales objections:

1. Stop talking. Count to three in your head. It feels longer than it is.
2. Show you heard it. "That's fair. It's a real amount of money."
3. Ask one question. Use the table below.
4. Answer only what they told you. Don't run through your whole pitch again.
5. Check it helped. "Does that help?" Then ask about the next step.

If it comes by text or DM, you can reply like this:

"Thanks for telling me. What are you comparing it with? If it's another quote, send me what it includes and I'll tell you honestly whether it's the better deal."

Sometimes it will be the better deal. Say so. They'll remember that, and they may come back when the cheap one goes wrong.

Any answer you've given twice belongs on your page. That habit is most of what objection handling is.

When nobody says anything at all

On a website, most people won't object. They'll look at your price, go quiet and close the tab. If they stay on the page but can't decide, that's buyer hesitation, and you can only help if you know what's behind it.

So ask. Put one question on your best page and show it once someone has been there a while:

What's stopping you from buying today?

Give them answers they can tap: the price, the extras, not sure it'll work, not sure I can trust this, just looking, something else. Read "something else" first.

A survey tells you the reason, but that visitor still leaves. The person worried about the total and the person comparing you with someone cheaper need different answers, and a page gives them the same one. That's why we built Possible, so weigh this knowing it's our own product. Possible is an AI built on real sales psychology. It asks each visitor the right question at the right moment, remembers the answers and guides them to a sale, sign-up or booking. It's free to start. If you sell products, here's more on our AI sales assistant for online stores. Write your price answers first either way, because you need to know what you'd say.

When to let them go

Some price objections are simply correct.

• They can't afford it. Don't talk anyone into debt. Offer something smaller, or tell them who else might help.
• They only want the lowest price. You can't win that race, and they'll leave the next time someone is $5 cheaper.
• It's a bad fit. "At that budget, we're probably not the right choice. Here's who I'd call." That costs you nothing, because you weren't getting the sale anyway.

One more honest check. If almost everyone says your price is too high, even after you've explained it, believe them. You may need a different price, a different offer or different customers.

Do this today

1. Read your last 20 messages from people who didn't buy, and find your most common "too expensive."
2. Write a price or a range on your main page.
3. Write your three lines on why you cost what you cost.
4. Put one real review about price beside that number.
5. Print the question table and keep it next to your phone.

Questions about handling price objections