“It’s Too Expensive!” — How to Win Negotiations by Selling Value, Not Price

“Your price is too high.”

It’s the phrase that makes a salesperson’s heart sink. You’ve spent weeks, maybe months, building a relationship, demonstrating your solution, and getting the client excited. Then, you present the proposal, and those four words bring the entire deal to a screeching halt.

Your first instinct might be to panic. Should you offer a discount? Should you start trimming parts of the solution? Stop. Take a breath. And understand this critical truth: when a client says your price is too high, it is almost never about the money.

“It’s Too Expensive!” — How to Win Negotiations by Selling Value, Not Price

It’s about value.

The objection isn’t a statement about your price tag. It’s feedback that you haven’t successfully shown them that the value of your solution is much, much bigger than its cost. Mastering negotiation for premium technology isn't about learning to haggle. It’s about learning to build a case for value so compelling that the price becomes a logical investment, not a painful expense.

Why They Push Back on Price

When a client objects to the cost, they are usually telling you one of two things:

1. The Value Gap: You haven't connected the dots between your solution and their biggest problems. They see your software as a "nice to have" rather than a "must have" that will directly save them money, make them money, or protect them from risk.

   
   

2. The Urgency Gap: They might understand the value, but they don't feel enough pain right now to justify spending the money. The problem you solve isn't on fire, so they can afford to wait.

   
   

Notice that neither of these is solved by a 10% discount. Slashing your price is a short-term fix that erodes your margins and teaches the client that your initial price wasn’t real. The only way to win is to close the value gap.

How to Defend Your Price by Demonstrating Value

Winning a negotiation starts long before you present the proposal. It’s about building a fortress of value, brick by brick, throughout the sales process.

1. Be a Business Doctor, Not a Product Pitcher

Your discovery phase is where the negotiation is won or lost. You must go deeper than surface-level questions. Your goal is to diagnose their business pain in financial terms. You need to become an expert on their problems.

• Find out what their current, inefficient process is costing them in wasted staff hours.

  
  

• Find out how much revenue they are losing from the problem you solve.

  
  

• Find out what financial risk they are exposed to by not fixing the issue.

  
  

When you know these numbers, you are no longer selling software. You are selling a solution to a six-figure problem.

2. Show Them the Maths

People don't buy "efficiency." They buy what efficiency gives them back in time and money. Don't just tell them your solution creates value; show them the calculation.

The wrong way: "Our software automates your team's manual reporting process."

The right way: "You mentioned your five senior engineers each spend about four hours a week compiling reports. Based on their average salary, that's over £40,000 a year your business spends just on that one manual task. Our solution automates it completely. For an annual cost of £15,000, this isn't an expense; it's a tool that generates £25,000 in pure profit for you in year one."

You've now reframed the entire conversation. You're not asking for their money; you're offering them a return.

3. Interrogate the Objection

When the "it's too expensive" line finally comes, don't get defensive. Get curious. This is a crucial moment for discovery. Ask calm, open questions to understand what's really going on.

• "That's a fair point. When you say it's expensive, could you help me understand what you're comparing it to?" (This uncovers if they have a quote from a cheaper, inferior competitor).

  
  

• "I appreciate your honesty. If the price were not a factor, is this the right solution to solve the challenges we've discussed?" (This confirms if you have solved for value or if there are other, hidden objections).

  
  

• "Could you walk me through how you've arrived at the budget for this project?" (This can reveal if the issue is a cash flow problem or a simple mismatch with their internal budgeting).

  
  

The answers to these questions will give you the real reason for the objection, which you can then address directly.

4. Offer Flexibility, Not Discounts

If the client has a genuine budget constraint but believes in your value, you can show flexibility without devaluing your solution. Instead of slashing the price, consider:

• Phased Rollout: Can they start with one module or department now and expand later? This breaks the cost into smaller, more manageable pieces.

  
  

• Payment Terms: Can you offer a quarterly payment plan instead of a single upfront fee to help with their cash flow?

  
  

• Tiered Options: Do you have a "Standard" version they could start with, which removes some non-essential features but still solves their core problem?

  
  

This shows you are a partner willing to find a solution, not just a seller desperate to close a deal.

Build the Skills to Win on Value

This value-based approach to negotiation is a skill. It requires confidence, preparation, and a structured way of thinking that puts business outcomes first. It's exactly these kinds of advanced sales competencies that are taught in the programme at ClickAcademy Asia.

This is more than just a sales course; it’s a programme designed to turn great salespeople into strategic business partners. You will learn the specific techniques to:

• Analyse customer needs to uncover the deep business pains that justify a premium price.

  
  

• Develop tailored product and service offerings that are positioned as high-value solutions from the start.

  
  

• Master the art of negotiation by focusing on business impact and ROI, not on discounts.

  
  

When you successfully defend your price by proving your value, you don't just win a deal. You set the standard for a profitable, long-term partnership.

Don’t Drop the Price. Raise the Value.

In tech sales, price objections aren’t solved by discounts—they’re solved by demonstrating undeniable value. The programme at ClickAcademy Asia teaches you how to build a business case so compelling that your price becomes a logical investment.

Learn to diagnose financial pain, quantify ROI, and negotiate with confidence.

This isn’t about haggling—it’s about transforming your solution into a strategic asset.

Defend your price. Win on value. https://www.clickacademyasia.com/course/mindset-mastery-for-sales-professionals