How to Handle the "Too Expensive" Objection in B2B Sales

"Your solution is too expensive" kills more B2B deals than any other objection. Here's the proven framework for handling pricing objections - plus how to practice until your responses become natural and confident.

Every B2B sales rep has heard it: "Your solution is too expensive." It's the most common objection in sales, yet most reps still fumble their response - getting defensive, immediately offering discounts, or failing to defend their value proposition.

The "too expensive" objection isn't about price - it's about perceived value. Prospects who don't see enough value to justify investment default to price objections. Handling this objection effectively requires reframing the conversation from cost to value, understanding what "too expensive" really means, and responding with confidence.

Here's the complete framework for handling pricing objections, including response templates, reframing techniques, and how to practice until price discussions become your strongest conversations instead of deal-killers.

Why "Too Expensive" Is Never Really About Price

Before diving into response frameworks, understand what prospects really mean when they say "too expensive":

"I Don't See Enough Value" Most often, "too expensive" means "I don't understand how this is worth the investment." The real issue is insufficient value communication, not actual price.

"I Don't Have Budget Allocated" Sometimes it means budget exists but isn't allocated to this solution. The issue is prioritization and budget reallocation, not total cost.

"I'm Comparing to Cheaper Alternatives" Often it's shorthand for "your competitor is cheaper" without understanding total value or total cost of ownership differences.

"I'm Not the Economic Buyer" Sometimes the person you're talking to doesn't control budget and is using price as a deflection because they can't make the decision anyway.

"I Want to Negotiate" Experienced buyers use price objections as negotiation tactics to see if you'll immediately discount without defending value.

The Framework: LAER for Pricing Objections

Use the LAER framework specifically adapted for pricing objections:

L - Listen for the Real Concern

Let Them Finish: When a prospect says "too expensive," resist the urge to immediately defend or discount. Let them complete their full thought.

Listen for Specifics: Are they comparing to a specific alternative? Is budget really the issue? Are they questioning the entire value proposition?

Example: Prospect: "Your solution is too expensive compared to what we're currently spending." You: [Listen completely, don't interrupt with justifications]

A - Acknowledge Without Agreeing

Validate Their Concern: Acknowledge that price is a legitimate consideration without agreeing that your solution is overpriced.

Response Template: "I appreciate you being direct about pricing - budget is always an important consideration for investments like this."

What This Does: Shows you heard them and take their concern seriously without conceding that price is actually too high.

E - Explore the Real Issue

Ask Clarifying Questions: Uncover what "too expensive" really means before attempting to respond.

Critical Questions:

"When you say 'too expensive,' help me understand - are you comparing to a specific budget you had in mind, or to alternatives you're evaluating?"

"What were you expecting investment to be for solving [their problem]?"

"Is this a matter of total cost, or timing of when budget becomes available?"

"Help me understand what you're comparing our pricing to?"

What You're Discovering:

• Is it a real budget constraint or perceived value gap?
• Are they comparing to competitors or to doing nothing?
• Is budget available but not allocated?
• Are they the actual economic buyer?

R - Respond with Value Reframing

Response Strategy: Reframe from price to value, from cost to investment, from expense to ROI.

Response Templates for "Too Expensive" Objections

Response 1: Reframe to ROI and Value

When to Use: Prospect questions overall value proposition.

Template: "I understand price is a consideration. Let me reframe this around value rather than cost. Based on what you've shared about [their specific problem], companies similar to yours typically see [specific ROI metric] within [timeframe]. That means this investment pays for itself in [calculation], and everything after that is pure value. Would walking through an ROI analysis based on your specific numbers be helpful?"

Example: "I understand. Let me reframe this around value. Based on what you shared about losing 15% of deals to competitor response time, improving that would mean approximately $2.3M in additional revenue annually. Our solution at $180K per year would pay for itself in the first month, with $2.1M in additional value annually. Would seeing that calculation based on your exact metrics help?"

Why This Works: Shifts conversation from cost to return, making price a small investment relative to value created.

Response 2: Compare Total Cost of Ownership

When to Use: Prospect compares to cheaper alternatives without understanding full costs.

Template: "I appreciate the price comparison. What we're finding is that initial price and total cost are very different. While [competitor/alternative] has a lower upfront cost, the total cost of ownership over [timeframe] is actually higher when you factor in [implementation, maintenance, lost productivity, etc.]. Would comparing total cost rather than just initial price make sense?"

Example: "I understand [Competitor] quoted lower. Here's what companies discover: their initial price is lower, but total cost over three years is actually 40% higher when you factor in implementation costs, integration fees, ongoing maintenance, and the productivity loss during longer implementation. Would comparing total cost rather than year-one price be valuable?"

Why This Works: Reveals hidden costs in "cheaper" alternatives, making your solution the better financial decision.

Response 3: Isolate the Objection

When to Use: You suspect price isn't the real objection or they're using it to deflect.

Template: "I appreciate the pricing feedback. Let me ask - if we could work out pricing that fits your budget, is this the solution you'd want to move forward with? Or are there other concerns beyond price?"

What This Reveals: If they say "yes, just price," you know budget is the real issue. If they hesitate or raise other concerns, price was a smokescreen for other objections.

Follow-Up If Price Is Real: "Great - then let's figure out how to make this work financially. What budget did you have allocated for solving [problem]?"

Follow-Up If Other Concerns Emerge: "I appreciate you sharing that. Let's address [real concern] first, then we can discuss pricing in context of how this actually solves your problem."

Response 4: Compare to Cost of Not Solving

When to Use: Prospect doesn't recognize urgency or cost of inaction.

Template: "I understand the investment feels significant. Let me ask - what's the cost of not solving [their problem]? Based on what you've shared, continuing with your current approach costs you [quantified impact] per [timeframe]. Our solution at [price] is actually less expensive than doing nothing. Does that reframe the investment question?"

Example: "I understand $250K feels significant. But based on what you shared about operational inefficiency costing 12 hours per week per team member, that's $780K annually in lost productivity. Continuing without a solution actually costs you $530K more per year than our investment. Does that change how you view the pricing?"

Why This Works: Makes status quo the expensive option and your solution the cost-saving choice.

Response 5: Offer Phased Implementation

When to Use: Budget is genuinely constrained but value is recognized.

Template: "I understand budget constraints are real. What if we approached this in phases - starting with [smaller scope] at [lower investment], proving value, then expanding? That way you can validate ROI before full investment. Would a phased approach that fits current budget work?"

Example: "I understand you don't have $300K allocated right now. What if we started with your sales team only at $85K, proved the ramp time reduction and ROI, then expanded to other teams next quarter when budget is available? Would starting smaller to prove value work within your current budget?"

Why This Works: Removes budget barrier while giving them proof point for future investment justification.

Response 6: Challenge Their Comparison

When to Use: They're comparing apples to oranges or missing key differentiators.

Template: "I appreciate you're comparing options. Help me understand what you're comparing - are you comparing equivalent capabilities, or just initial price? Because what differentiates our solution is [key advantage], which [cheaper alternative] doesn't provide. Would comparing equivalent capabilities rather than just price be more accurate?"

Example: "I appreciate the comparison to [Competitor]. Quick question - are you comparing equivalent capabilities? Because the price difference you're seeing is primarily because we include [enterprise features, advanced security, dedicated support] that they charge separately for or don't offer. When you compare total capability and cost, we're actually more cost-effective. Would seeing that comparison be helpful?"

Why This Works: Reveals that "cheaper" alternatives don't provide equivalent value when properly compared.

What NOT to Do When Handling Pricing Objections

Don't Immediately Discount: Offering discounts without defending value trains prospects that your initial price isn't real and rewards them for objecting.

Don't Get Defensive: Justifying why you're expensive or apologizing for pricing undermines confidence in your value proposition.

Don't Accept the Objection: Saying "I understand, let me see what I can do on price" concedes that price is too high before exploring the real issue.

Don't Compete on Price Alone: If you make it about price, prospects will always find someone cheaper. Compete on value, ROI, and total cost of ownership.

Don't Oversell: After handling the objection, don't continue selling. Check if the concern is addressed and move forward.

Why Practicing Pricing Objections Is Critical

Knowing these frameworks intellectually and delivering them confidently under pressure are completely different skills.

The Pricing Objection Challenge

High Stakes: Pricing objections often come late in sales cycles after significant investment. Fumbling your response can kill deals worth hundreds of thousands.

Emotional Pressure: Prospects questioning your value creates pressure to defend, discount, or justify - emotions that undermine effective responses.

Requires Confidence: Successfully handling pricing objections requires absolute confidence in your value. Hesitation or uncertainty is fatal.

Prospect Testing: Experienced buyers deliberately apply pricing pressure to see if reps will fold. Weak responses invite aggressive negotiation.

What Practice Develops

Automatic Responses: Through repetition, value-based responses become automatic rather than something you have to think through under pressure.

Emotional Control: Practice with AI prospects who aggressively challenge price builds immunity to pressure, keeping you calm and confident.

Reframing Fluency: Develop natural ability to shift from price to value without sounding scripted or defensive.

Confidence Under Fire: Build unshakeable confidence in your pricing through repeated practice defending value successfully.

How Sellible Masters Pricing Objection Practice

Realistic Pricing Pressure: Sellible's AI prospects don't accept first responses to pricing objections. They push back, compare to competitors, question ROI calculations, and apply the same pressure real prospects do.

Progressive Difficulty: Start with mild price concerns, progress to aggressive negotiators and skeptical CFOs who challenge every value claim.

Industry-Specific Pricing Objections: Practice with AI that raises pricing objections specific to your market - SaaS prospects question subscription value, enterprise buyers demand detailed ROI, financial services prospects focus on compliance costs.

Confidence Building: Practice the same pricing objection 10-15 times with different AI prospects until your value defense becomes automatic and confident.

Real Scenarios: Practice pricing conversations that mirror your actual deals - your price points, your competitors, your value proposition.

Pricing Objection Handling Checklist

Before Sales Conversations:

• Know your ROI metrics and can calculate them for this prospect
• Research competitor pricing and total cost of ownership
• Quantify cost of their current problem/status quo
• Prepare value reframing specific to their situation
• Practice pricing objection responses until natural

During Pricing Discussions:

• Listen completely without interrupting
• Acknowledge concern without agreeing price is too high
• Explore what "too expensive" really means
• Respond with value reframing and ROI focus
• Check if concern is addressed before moving forward
• Maintain confident, non-defensive tone throughout

After Handling Objection:

• Document which response approach worked
• Note any pricing concerns you struggled to address
• Practice better responses for next time
• Update your pricing objection playbook

Conclusion

"Too expensive" objections aren't about price - they're about value. Prospects who truly understand the ROI and value of your solution rarely object to price. Your job isn't to justify cost or offer discounts - it's to reframe conversations from price to value, from cost to investment, from expense to ROI.

The frameworks in this guide work, but only when delivered with absolute confidence. That confidence comes from practice - not from reading frameworks, but from practicing pricing conversations until value defense becomes automatic.

Traditional role play can't provide the aggressive pricing pressure and skeptical pushback that real prospects deliver. You need realistic practice with AI prospects who challenge your value claims, push back on ROI calculations, and apply the same pricing pressure you face in actual deals.

Sellible provides that practice. Work with AI prospects who question your pricing, compare to competitors, and force you to defend value until pricing conversations become your strongest skill instead of your biggest fear.

Your competitors are discounting without defending value. When you master pricing objection handling through realistic practice, you'll win deals at full price while they race to the bottom.

Ready to master pricing objections? Book a demo with the Sellible team and practice with AI prospects who challenge your pricing like real buyers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Should I ever offer discounts when prospects say "too expensive"? A: Only after fully defending value and determining budget is genuinely constrained. Immediate discounting without value defense trains prospects that your initial price isn't real and undermines future pricing credibility.

Q: What if the prospect is right and we are more expensive than competitors? A: Focus on total cost of ownership, not initial price. Emphasize differentiators that justify premium pricing. If you can't articulate why you're worth more, neither can prospects justify paying more.

Q: How do I handle pricing objections from economic buyers vs. influencers? A: Economic buyers need ROI and business case justification. Influencers often use price to deflect when they're not decision-makers. Isolate the objection to determine if you're talking to the right person.

Q: What's the best way to practice pricing objections? A: Repetition with realistic pressure. Practice with AI prospects who don't accept first responses, who push back on ROI claims, and who apply aggressive pricing pressure like real buyers.

Q: How do I stay confident when prospects keep pushing on price? A: Confidence comes from knowing your value and having defended it successfully many times. Practice pricing conversations until you've experienced aggressive price pressure dozens of times and successfully reframed to value.