What to say
“That's fair to raise. Expensive compared to what: another firm, doing it yourselves, or not doing it this year?”
Then listen. The answer tells you which conversation you are in.
The three comparisons
Another firm
Ask what the other offer includes. Often it is a different scope. If it truly is the same, you have a choice to make, not an argument to win.
Doing it themselves
Ask who would do it and what they would stop doing instead. Internal time is rarely free.
Not doing it
This is the most common one, and the real competitor. Go back to the cost:
“You mentioned the late projects cost you around $40,000 each. How many of those do you expect this year if nothing changes?”
If you lower the price, trade
- Remove part of the scope, and say which part.
- Ask for payment up front.
- Ask for a referral or a case study when the work is done.
A discount for nothing tells the buyer your first number was a test. A trade keeps your price honest.
The real fix is earlier
“Too expensive” at the end of a sale usually means the cost of the problem was never made clear at the start. If the buyer told you the problem costs $200,000 a year, a $40,000 fee is rarely the issue. Read consultative selling for how to find that number in the first meeting.