How to handle: "Can you do better on the price?"
Negotiating is a buying signal — but cave once and you'll cave forever.
What they're really saying
Negotiating is a buying signal — but cave once and you'll cave forever.
Common variants you'll hear
- "What's your best price?"
- "Throw in a discount and we have a deal"
- "Meet me halfway"
Three rebuttals — weak, strong, and elite
Same objection, three skill levels. Read all three, then drill the elite version until it falls out of your mouth.
"Let me check with my manager — I might be able to knock 10% off."
Why it works: Folds at the first ask. Trains the buyer to push harder.
"I appreciate you asking — most people do. The honest answer is the price is the price because of [what's included]. But if you're asking 'is there a way to make this work,' yes — tell me what would need to be true for you to say yes today, and I'll see if I can build it."
Why it works: Holds the line with confidence and makes any concession a trade, not a gift.
"Look, I'll be honest — anytime someone asks for a discount, what they're really asking is 'are you charging me fairly.' So let me just answer that directly. The price reflects [the three things that actually drive your outcome]. If I drop the price, I drop one of those — and you didn't come here to buy half a solution. What I can do, if you're ready to move today, is [a real, asymmetric concession — bonus, faster start, locked-in renewal]. That way you win without me having to hand you a worse version of what you actually wanted."
Why it works: Reframes the discount as a tell on commitment and protects margin without losing the deal.
Follow-up questions
- What would need to be true for you to say yes today?
- If the price was 10% lower, are you 100% in — or still thinking?
- Which part of the package are you willing to drop in exchange for a lower price?
Bridge back to the close
"Here's what I can do — full package, full outcome, plus [the bonus]. Lock it in today and we keep the price. Sound like a deal?"
Other "Too expensive" objections
"It's too expensive."
They don't see enough value yet — or they're scared of the commitment.
"Your competitor is way cheaper."
They're shopping price because no one has shown them what they're actually buying.
"I just don't have the money right now."
Could be real, could be a soft no. Either way — find financing or find the truth.