Customers say “Just give me the price” for a reason. Here is what usually sits behind it, how to respond and what to avoid.
The customer wants to qualify you quickly, often because they have been through long pitches before. Refusing to answer sounds evasive; reciting a number with no context can make you look expensive. The way through is to give a range or a starting point and then link it to what moves it.
Typical in: Software and SaaS, Insurance and finance, Real estate, Telecom and energy, Professional services, Retail and e-commerce, Manufacturing and logistics, Contact centre and customer service
Pick the framework that fits the customer. The wording is an example direction, not a script: say it in your own words.
Show you heard it, then ask an open question before you respond.
“Fair enough, you should know the ballpark. It typically starts around X and goes up depending on Y and Z. May I ask two quick questions so I can tell you where you would likely land?” Replace X, Y and Z with your real figures.
Ask for a moment, a question or a next step, and accept the answer.
“Happy to give you the price. May I ask one thing first, so the number I give you is the right one for you and not just a general figure?” Then ask one question, and give the price promptly.
Give two real options so the customer decides how, not whether.
“There are three typical set-ups, from a basic one to a full one. I can give you the price of each in a minute, and you tell me which looks closest to what you need.”
After your response, ask:
Is there a figure you have in mind, so I can tell you whether we are in the same range?
Avoid: I can’t give prices over the phone.
It sounds like hiding, and the customer will move to a competitor who answers. Withholding without a reason loses trust at the first minute.
Reading is not the same as saying it. Talk to an AI customer who raises this kind of objection and see in the report which sentence helped.
Practise this objectionThe customer wants to qualify you quickly, often because they have been through long pitches before. Refusing to answer sounds evasive; reciting a number with no context can make you look expensive. The way through is to give a range or a starting point and then link it to what moves it.
Acknowledge, then ask: “Fair enough, you should know the ballpark. It typically starts around X and goes up depending on Y and Z. May I ask two quick questions so I can tell you where you would likely land?” Replace X, Y and Z with your real figures. Ask permission: “Happy to give you the price. May I ask one thing first, so the number I give you is the right one for you and not just a general figure?” Then ask one question, and give the price promptly. Offer a choice: “There are three typical set-ups, from a basic one to a full one. I can give you the price of each in a minute, and you tell me which looks closest to what you need.”
Is there a figure you have in mind, so I can tell you whether we are in the same range?
Avoid “I can’t give prices over the phone.” It sounds like hiding, and the customer will move to a competitor who answers. Withholding without a reason loses trust at the first minute.
Educational conversation training. It is not legal or financial advice and it promises no results. Always follow your company’s rules, the terms of the product and a customer’s clear no.