Neutralising the Price Objection Without Discounting

When a prospect asks for a cheaper price, most salespeople either cave and discount or push back defensively — both responses erode trust and close rates. This session breaks down a practical two-step method for handling price objections with calm indifference. You will learn how to stay non-committal in the moment, probe what a competitor actually offered, and use a targeted reframe question that shifts the buyer's attention from the price tag to the result they said they wanted. Real-world examples from marketing agency sales and home improvement sales illustrate how to adapt the language to your specific industry and product outcomes.

Learning objectives

• Respond to discount requests with a neutral, indifferent tone that avoids an immediate yes or no
• Ask a targeted follow-up question to uncover exactly what a competitor offered and whether it is genuinely comparable
• Identify when a prospect may be fabricating a cheaper competitor offer based on tonality and vague detail
• Construct a reframe question that contrasts 'cheapest price' with the specific outcome the prospect stated they want
• Apply a concern-based follow-up question that highlights the practical risks of choosing a lower-cost alternative
• Adapt the two-step framework to your own industry by anchoring the reframe to the buyer's stated goal

Key takeaways

• Staying indifferent — 'it depends' — prevents you from conceding value before you understand the real objection
• Asking 'what specifically did they offer you?' often reveals that the cheaper option is not a like-for-like comparison
• Vague or wavering answers about a competitor's offer can signal the prospect is negotiating rather than reporting a genuine alternative
• The reframe question 'Is the cheapest price the most important thing to you, or actually getting [specific result]?' reorients the conversation around value
• Framing 'cheapest' with a slightly doubtful tone signals to the buyer that low cost and desired outcomes may be in conflict
• A concern-based how-to question — 'how would you achieve X with a cheaper solution?' — lets the prospect reason their way to your value rather than being told it