What to say when a customer says you are too expensive
Do not defend the price and do not drop it in the same breath. Ask what they are comparing it against, because "too expensive" usually means "I do not know why yours costs more". Then explain what is in your price, and offer a smaller version of the job rather than the same job for less. The wording for each of those is below.
What they usually mean
Three different sentences arrive wearing the same words. "It is more than I have" is a budget problem. "It is more than the other quote" is a comparison problem. "I cannot see why it costs that" is a value problem. Discounting only helps the first one, and it is the rarest of the three.
So the first move is never a number. It is a question. One question buys you the information you need and, just as usefully, it stops the silence that a defensive answer creates.
The first reply, whatever they meant
By text: "Fair enough, thanks for telling me. Can I ask what you are comparing it to? If somebody has come in cheaper I would rather show you what the difference is than just knock money off."
By email: "Thanks for being straight with me. So I can be useful rather than just cutting the price, is it more than you had budgeted, or more than another quote you have had?"
On the phone: "That is honest, I appreciate it. Can I ask what you were expecting it to be? Then I can tell you properly whether we are the wrong fit or whether it is worth a conversation."
Replies for each of the three meanings
More than another quote: "Ours includes {the thing the cheap quote leaves out}. If theirs does too then they are genuinely better value and I would take it. If it does not, that bit usually costs more to put right later than it does to do now."
More than they have: "I cannot do that job for that money and do it properly. What I can do is {smaller version}, which is {price}, and leave you set up to do the rest later."
Cannot see the value: "Let me break the price down so you can see where it goes, and then decide. {Line one}. {Line two}. {Line three}. If any of those are not worth it to you, we can take them out."
And when the answer is no
"No problem at all, thanks for coming back to me rather than leaving me guessing. If the other job does not go the way you hoped, the quote stands for {period}, just give me a shout."
Four things that lose the job here
- Dropping the price immediately, which tells them the first number was made up
- Listing everything you do in one long paragraph, which reads as an argument
- Going quiet because you feel awkward, which they read as agreement
- Saying "you get what you pay for", which is a criticism of their judgement
Most quotes are not lost on price. They are lost because nobody said anything after the price. The free guide has the full follow-up sequence.
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You can only use any of this if you know the quote is sitting there unanswered. Owners lose more money to quotes nobody chased than to quotes somebody argued with, which is what an unchased quote costs is about. A simple reminder two days after every quote goes out will surface these conversations while the job is still live.
GoHighLevel can put every sent quote on a short list, remind you on day two and day seven, and send the follow-up message for you if you would rather it went out on time than perfectly worded. The replies above are then the conversation you have, instead of the one you never got to. See quote follow-up templates for the messages that go before this point.
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Common questions
Should I ever drop my price?
Only in exchange for something, such as a smaller scope, a quieter week in your diary, or payment up front. A discount given for nothing teaches that customer, and anyone they recommend you to, that your prices are negotiable.
What if they will not tell me what the other quote was?
Do not push. Explain what is in yours in three short lines and let them do the comparison themselves. Plenty of people will not share a number but will happily spot the missing item once you name it.
How long should I wait before following up after a price objection?
Two working days. Long enough that it does not feel like pressure, short enough that they have not booked somebody else. Then once more the following week, and after that leave it.
Is it worth quoting people who always say it is too expensive?
Once, properly. If the same person does it on every job and never books, you are doing free estimating. Be polite, give a rough range rather than a full quote, and spend the time on enquiries that convert.