The price objection that isn't about price. Answer it with an ROI case and you will lose politely.
An account executive at a compliance-automation vendor. You sent pricing on Friday for a 60-seat deployment at 84,000 a year.
Michael Brandt, Director of Risk at Ashcombe Financial, asked for a call this morning. His email said only: 'Got the pricing — it's a lot more than we expected. Can we talk?'
Find out what is actually behind the objection before you answer it, then respond to the real thing.
Michael
Director of Risk, Ashcombe Financial
She opens guarded, and she is holding 4 things back — 0 near the surface, 2 that take real questioning, and 2 you will only get to if the conversation genuinely goes well. What they are, and what makes her say them, is the part you have to find. She is not scripted to volunteer any of it.
The objectives for this scenario, and the four axes every objection handling call is graded on.
Did they find out what the objection actually meant before answering it? 'Too expensive' can be no budget, wrong value, or a comparison to something else entirely, and the three have different answers.
Was the answer specific and honest — a real trade-off, a real number, a real limitation acknowledged — or a feature list and a reassurance?
Did they stay level under pushback without either caving or getting defensive? Discounting unprompted, over-explaining, and arguing all count against.
Did the objection get resolved or genuinely parked with agreement on what happens next, or did the call end with it still sitting there?
The buyer's concern was understood, answered, and the conversation moved past it.
Not resolved, but honestly acknowledged with an agreed way to settle it.
Answered but not believed. The buyer is being polite.
Discounted, over-promised, or agreed the objection was fatal. The most expensive way to end this call.
Diagnosing a price objection instead of answering it, and reshaping scope rather than cutting rate. 15 minutes, live voice, and a scored debrief you can replay. The first call is free.