Mastering Sales Pricing Discussions

We were 25 minutes into the call when they asked: Prospect: “So… can we get some ballpark pricing?” Me: “Happy to share. Just curious - are we currently the vendor of choice? Or are we still in the mix with others?” Prospect: “We’re still evaluating about five different vendors.” Me: “Got it. And what are you evaluating us all on?” Prospect: “Mostly features and pricing.” Me: “Appreciate the transparency. Mind if I be blunt for a second?” Prospect: “Go for it.” Me: “We don’t like to win on price. We don’t like to lose on price. We like to win on product.” Me: “If you’re telling me we’re the best solution for your team, then we can figure out how to make the pricing work. But if you’re not there yet, I’d rather not pretend price is the blocker.” Prospect: “Fair. We’re still figuring out what we really need.” Me: “That’s what I figured. And that’s why I hesitate to get deep into pricing. If you’re still defining the problem, every number’s going to feel too high.” It shifted the energy. Too many teams ask for pricing before they even know what they’re buying. They want quotes before clarity. Discounts before direction. Numbers before need. But pricing only makes sense once the value is clear. So here’s what I’ve learned: Make sure you’re the vendor of choice first. Make sure they know what they’re solving and how you solve it. Then have those money conversations. That’s how you avoid racing to the bottom. And win on the thing that matters most... The product.

"After you tell them the price, shut up" ^Easier said than done.  Here's how I coach reps to stay silent after giving price: 𝟭. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: Before getting into dollars & cents, you need to give your prospect full context for what those dollars & cents actually mean. Explain the details like: Pricing model (license-based, flat fee, time & materials), implementation costs, data migration, # of packages offered, contract term etc This way, when you tell them what everything costs, they actually have context for what $5,450/month actually means for them. Number one reason I see people not "shut up" after giving price is that they've not explained structure first. This often results in over-explaining/trying to justify costs because you didn't do that upfront. 𝟮. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹: Seasoned buyers want you to negotiate against yourself. So they'll stay quiet after you tell them the price, hoping to rattle you. It can be really hard to stay silent after quoting someone more than your monthly mortgage payment. But you need to get their reaction to the price you just quoted. You won't get that if YOU keep blabbing. One thing that's helped me is to literally bring a tall glass of water to proposal calls. After you say the price, force yourself to take a big sip. Hard to keep talking with water in your mouth... 𝟯. 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝘁𝗲: Signals to the other person that it's their turn to talk. (You want to get their reaction to the price) 𝟰. 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: I've seen reps who literally look down at their notepad and write out notes from the call as a mechanism to keep themselves silent while they wait for their buyer to react. I like this one because it gives you a "distraction" to do instead of continuing to justify your quote. --- As you get more seasoned as a seller, you'll learn to stop overthinking pricing and will gain confidence in the value of what you sell. But for newer sellers, these tips may help you keep your cool when quoting big. What other advice would you give a newer seller about presenting price?

“Your price is too high.” Coolio. Taco Bell has a dollar menu. Doesn’t mean it’s the better option. When buyers push back on price, it’s rarely about affordability. It’s about credibility. They’re not convinced the juice is worth the squeeze. And when that happens, reps panic. They discount. They stall. They hope. But here’s what the data shows across hundreds of SaaS deals: Most pricing objections aren’t budget-related: - Roughly 10% stem from actual budget constraints - 60%+ come from unclear ROI or unquantified value - The rest? Risk. Fear of change, churn, or complexity So when a buyer says “that’s too much,” they don’t mean too many dollars. They mean too much doubt. Keep this awesome equation in mind: Perceived Value ÷ Perceived Risk = Willingness to Pay If either side of that equation collapses, even a fair price feels inflated. Here’s a real example from a $40k ACV SaaS company we work with at Sales Assembly: Before: - 29% of closed/lost deals blamed pricing - Proposal-to-close rate under 10% - Reps discounting in nearly half of wins What changed: 1. Value was quantified early. - Reps added “Cost of Inaction” to discovery (via training Jen Allen-Knuth facilitates for us) - Focus on making sure the downside of doing nothing was clear (via business case creation training facilitated for us by Nate Nasralla). - Ex: Ops leader says 9 hrs/week spent compiling reports -> $43.2k/year in wasted labor. THAT became the anchor, not the price tag. 2. Deals were de-risked, not discounted - 30 day opt outs tied to onboarding milestones - CX led implementation previews - Timeline SLAs with shared accountability These weren’t gimmicks. They addressed the unspoken fear: What if this fails internally? 3. Objections were diagnosed, not debated Reps used a decision tree: - Budget -> FY timing, phased rollouts, flexible terms - Value -> Revisit pain model, add persona-specific proof - Risk -> Peer references, sandbox access, stakeholder plans Over time, they tracked objection types: - Budget = ~12% - Value = ~58% - Risk = ~30% Which meant 9 out of 10 pricing objections WEREN'T about price. Two quarters later: - Pricing related losses dropped from 29% to 13% - Proposal-to-close rate nearly doubled to 18.6% - Discount usage fell by 37% tl;dr = If you’re hearing “too expensive” at the end, the objection started at the beginning. It's more of a positioning issue than a pricing issue. So stop tossing discounts at doubt. Train your reps to: - Model ROI early - Address internal risk directly - Map pricing to value before numbers hit the table Because when buyers believe in the outcome, they’ll find the budget. When they don’t, no discount is deep enough. And if Taco Bell starts looking like the safer bet? It’s not your price. It’s your pitch.

Whether I'm teaching Leasing Professionals or Account Executives in the apartment industry, here's one technique that most people don't use effectively. The Power of the Pause. When it comes to sales—whether you’re selling tech, apartments, or services—one of the most underrated techniques is the Power of the Pause. Research from Gong.io shows that top-performing sales reps pause for 4-5 seconds after asking a question or stating a key point, while average performers pause for only about 2 seconds. Those extra moments can significantly impact your ability to close deals. Why does it matter? Silence gives your prospect time to process information and formulate their response. It also demonstrates confidence and control, signaling that you’re not desperate to fill the void with more talking. Here are two critical moments when using a pause can make all the difference: After Presenting the Price: Let the number sink in. Don’t rush to justify or explain it. Silence here shows confidence and allows the prospect to process the value on their own terms. After Asking for the Sale: Once you’ve made the ask, stop talking. This pause puts the ball in the prospect’s court and gives them the space to make their decision. Interrupting their thought process with more information typically creates hesitation and sometimes, confusion. The right pause at the right moment can create a sense of assurance and while giving your prospect room to make a decision.

After coaching the #1 sales reps at companies like Salesforce, HubSpot, and dozens of Fortune 500s…. I've noticed a pattern. Elite performers don't get better at handling objections, → They get better at preventing them. Here's how they handle the 7 most common deal killers. 1. "Your price is too high" This objection means one thing: perceived value < price. Average reps respond by desperately defending their pricing: "Well, we're more expensive because of X, Y, Z..." (creating more resistance). Elite reps prevent this by running a discovery process that quantifies: → True cost of inaction (what happens if they do nothing?) →Opportunity cost (what are they missing out on?) →Potential ROI (10X value compared to price) 2. "I need to think about it" This classic stall tells you nothing about what they're actually considering. Elite reps respond: "I completely understand. To make sure I'm giving you what you need, can you share specifically what you're thinking about?" Then they shut up and listen. The prospect's answer reveals the actual objection that needs addressing. 3. "I need to run this by my CEO first" If this surprises you, you missed uncovering all stakeholders early in your process. Elite reps ask: "If it was only up to you, would you move forward?" If they hesitate, they're not truly sold. If they are convinced, coach them for the conversation: "When you talk to the CEO, what concerns might they have? How will you address those concerns?" This transforms your champion into a prepared advocate who can sell internally for you. 4. "We don't have budget" When prospects truly see 10X value, they find the money. Personal example: When my parents found out I needed surgery for a broken finger as a teenager, they had zero budget for it. But the cost of inaction (permanent damage to my hand) was so high they found thousands of dollars. If your prospect truly believes your solution solves a critical problem, budget objections disappear. 5. "This isn't a priority right now" Average reps can only sell to prospects with active pain. Elite reps transform latent pain into active pain by helping prospects see the true consequences of inaction. If you're consistently hearing "not a priority," you're failing to elevate pain levels in your discovery process. 6. "We're considering Competitor X" Never trash talk competitors. Elite reps ask: "Based on what you've seen so far between us and them, which way are you leaning?" Their answer will reveal exactly what matters most to them and where you need to differentiate. 7. "I need to speak with your customers first" This is an uncertainty objection. Find out what they're really uncertain about: "I appreciate that. When you speak with our customers, what specifically do you want to find out?" Their answer reveals what you missed building confidence around earlier. When you thoroughly uncover pain, quantify impact, and build value upfront, objections rarely surface.

I asked a salesperson for the price. I was taken back by their response: “Let’s hold off on that until I learn more about your situation and show you the demo. I want you to see the value first.” The problem? I’ve done research. I can’t determine value without price. Salespeople don’t determine value, buyers do. When you hold price hostage you destroy trust. Why? Prospects think you’re hiding something. So if a prospect asks for the price, tell them the price, even if it’s a range. Like this: Prospect: “What’s the price?” Salesperson: “There are a few variables but typically companies invest between X and Y. Can you see yourself falling in that range?” Then shut the front door. If your prospect doesn’t bring up the price bring it up early. Like this: “Can I ask you a direct question?” “I don't want to do you a disservice by wasting your time doing a demo, only for us to realize that although you like what you see we’re not fit because we’re too expensive. So based on what you told me so far, would it be okay if I ran some numbers by you?” Price conveys certainty. The shift? Hold price hostage —> Set price free

Too many sellers negotiate with buyers who aren’t even sure they want the thing. Then they wonder why the deal dies. You’re not losing to price. You’re losing because they weren’t bought in to begin with. Last year I had a call with one of my favorite clients. She’s a rockstar. She’s been in my coaching program for a year and it’s changed her life. But now she wasn’t sure she could renew. Why? She just bought a house, money was tight, and she said she’d probably downgrade to the lower-tier plan. Most sellers would’ve accepted that. Said something like: “Totally understand. Let’s keep you in the silver plan. You can always upgrade later.” But if you’re a true servant seller, you don’t let money get in the way of what’s right for the client. So I asked her: “If money was no object, what would you want?” She closed her eyes. She thought about it. She said: “I’d want the full coaching program. And I’d want to be at the Mastermind.” Now I knew. She wasn’t hesitating because of value. She was hesitating because of cashflow. THAT is when you talk pricing. THAT is when you offer incentives. Not before. I told her: “If you’re truly all-in, I can help make the numbers work.” We ended up building a plan with 0% financing and spread payments—but only after she made a verbal commitment that THIS was what she wanted. - If they’re not emotionally and strategically committed to your product, do NOT lead with a discount. - Don’t offer free support. - Don’t negotiate against your own value. Because if they’re not 100% in? No amount of price cutting will save that deal. This works in coaching. This works in B2B. It works in software, services, enterprise deals. You MUST validate intent before negotiating terms. The most dangerous words in sales are: “Let me get you a better price.” Said to someone who’s only half in. So stop negotiating with uncommitted buyers. Don’t discount. Don’t justify. Don’t beg. Instead: Uncover the truth. Build the plan. Take down the deal. Close with conviction. Not with coupons. P.S. If you're an AE who wants to join my coaching program and work with me to get to $500k/yr+, book a call here: https://lnkd.in/gf3zQSPy

Most pricing changes don’t fail because of bad math. They fail because of bad communication. 🛑🗣️ Yesterday, I had an experience that highlighted precisely how NOT to roll out new pricing and packaging. I went to sign up for a SaaS webinar tool I had used before. To my surprise, the company had changed its pricing plans in the last two months. 💰🔄 The details on their site didn’t make it clear which plan had the webinar feature I needed. I reached out to their support team—a clear sign I was ready to buy. Instead of answering my question directly, they sent me an email with this message: "Here’s a link to our Knowledge Base. If you still can’t figure it out, let us know." …and closed my support request. Ouch. 🤦 Here's why this was frustrating as a customer: 1️⃣ It made me do the work.  When someone is ready to buy, they don’t want to search for answers—they want quick, easy help. 2️⃣ It didn’t build trust.  A helpful and clear answer would have made me feel confident in their service. 3️⃣ It showed poor planning.  Customers will ask questions when pricing changes. Companies need to be ready to explain clearly. 4️⃣ It wasted good feedback.  If customers don’t understand your pricing, that’s a chance to improve how you explain it. What They Should Have Done Instead ✅ Give a clear answer right away. Something like, “Yes, this plan includes webinars. I’m happy to help you set it up!” ✅ Acknowledge the confusion. For example, “We recently updated our plans, and I can see how that might be unclear. Thanks for letting us know—we’ll work to make it clearer!” ✅ Learn from the question. Customer questions reveal where your pricing or messaging might be confusing. The Lesson for Pricing and Packaging Pricing isn’t just about numbers. 📊 It’s also about explaining value and helping customers choose the right option.  Clear messaging and great support are just as important as the plans themselves. 💡 If you’re launching a new pricing model, make sure your team: 1️⃣ Knows all the details of the changes. 2️⃣ Is ready to answer questions quickly. 3️⃣ Looks for ways to make things easier for customers and feeds that back to the pricing stakeholders. You don’t want to lose a customer just because they couldn’t figure out which plan they needed! What’s the most frustrating experience you’ve had with unclear pricing?

Let’s face it - at some point, you’ll probably have to raise your prices. 😳📈 At Pizzana, we did. With inflation, supply chain hiccups, and rising labor costs, there was no way around it. But here’s the thing: how you raise prices makes ALL the difference. The key? Communicate, communicate, communicate. 🔑 We were upfront with customers and paired our increase with new happy hours, smaller plates, and other options that kept the experience accessible for everyone. So if you’re facing this dilemma, don’t panic—we’ve all been there. Here’s how to raise prices without losing your customers: 📣 Be transparent. Share the “why.” People are far more open to change when they understand it. 👀 Check the market. If competitors are adjusting too, you’ll want to stay in line. Pro tip: never be the outlier—high or low. ✨ Add value. Upgrade menus, packaging, or service. If the experience feels five-star, the extra dollars won’t sting. 💡 Offer flexibility. Tiered pricing, smaller portions, or specials can soften the shift. At Pizzana, happy hour deals helped balance our price changes. When you raise prices with your community in mind, customers feel respected—and they’ll stick with you. Small business owners—have you had to raise prices recently? What worked, and what didn’t?

On a call with a potential client yesterday, she was naming the various sales challenges they were dealing with, one of which was how to tell if a prospect is objecting to price just to get a better deal (forcing them to leave money on the table) or if it’s a true objection. Kudos to her for thinking to question the objection. Many people take objections at face value when they are often masking the real issue that might be solvable. So, I thought it might be helpful for me to share some #salestips for dealing with price objections. First of all, get ahead of this objection by qualifying the opportunity early on. In non-sales jargon, qualifying means finding out if they have a real need and are willing to commit budget to fixing the problem you want to solve for them. You want to do this before putting together a formal proposal. How to do this: Ask them questions like “Based on what you've shared, this sounds like it could range from $X to $Y depending on scope. How does that align with your thinking?” It’s a friendlier way of saying “Can you afford this before I put blood, sweat and tears into creating a gorgeous proposal?” If you’re past that and dealing with the prospect telling you your proposal is outside of their budget, dig into diagnosing the real issue. Ask: "What range were you expecting to see?" "What specifically feels high - the total investment or the monthly amount?" "How does this compare to what you've budgeted for solving this problem?" Then Choose Your Path Based on Their Answer: If they reveal a specific budget constraint: "Got it. If we were to work within [their range], what would be most important to prioritize?" (Then adjust scope, not price) If they can't give you a number: "What would need to happen for an investment at this level to make sense?" (Uncover if it's authority, timing, or value perception) If they seem genuinely shocked: "It sounds like we may not have aligned on expectations earlier. Let me understand what you were thinking this would look like." (Acknowledge your qualification failure) How do you typically deal with price objections? Are there other objections that are you typically dealing with? #salesobjections #b2bsales