When Buyers Push Back on Price, Do This Instead

Today’s Skill: Understanding Price Objections

Last week, I talked about the three "costs" buyers consider to decide if your product or service is worth buying. (If you missed it, go read it here)

One of the factors is definitely the dollars and cents cost. You will inevitably encounter objections about it when discussing pricing.

So, what do you do when that happens?

What do you do when all seems to be going well and they say…

Most founders panic. They start rambling. They backpedal. And then, out come the discounts and a large “word salad” to try to justify why it’s worth that price.

But, remember…

It’s usually not about the price.

It’s about the value behind it.

When someone pushes back on price, what they’re saying is:

That’s not a problem. That’s an opportunity.

Where Price Objections Come From

A pricing objection (well, any objection, really) usually comes from an earlier issue in the process.

→ Maybe you didn’t tie the solution back to their biggest pain.

→ Maybe the urgency wasn’t there.

→ Maybe you didn’t spend enough time showing how much this problem is actually costing them.

→ Maybe you didn’t understand the problem behind the problem.

That’s okay. But it means now is the time to dig in and face it head on.

Your 3 Step Formula

Here’s a better way to handle it pricing objections going forward.

1. Acknowledge it

Take a deep breath and say something super-duper simple like:

or

This shows them you’re actively listening. It also allows you to turn the conversation into a positive.

2. Ask a follow-up question(s) to gain clarity.

It’s okay to ask a couple of questions to understand the “why” behind their responses. In fact, it’s almost a must.

or

This flips it from you defending the price to you exploring their frame of reference. Because without context, you’re guessing.

3. Re-anchor the Value

Once you’ve got more info, it’s time to connect the dots. It might sound something like:

No defensiveness. No justification. Just re-emphasizing the problem they had and explaining the reasoning behind the pricing.

This brings you back to the key problems they mentioned. It connects the dots on how you got to the pricing and how it will help them reach their goals.

One Final Note:

Objections aren’t bad. They’re a signal that something is still unclear.

Your job isn’t to sell harder; it’s to slow down, listen, and re-establish the value.

So next time someone says, “That’s more than I was thinking,” take a chill pill. And a deep breath.

Acknowledge. Ask. Re-anchor.

When you understand objections, it makes the path to correcting them much simpler.

It could be the difference between a deal that fizzles out and a client who sticks around for years.

Your Action Item

Practice this. Seriously!

If you have another Founder friend, do some role play back and forth.

At worst, write this down and say it out loud a few times.

I don’t want the first time you’re responding to be live on a client call.