By Paul Reilly
Yes, most price objections are self-inflicted wounds.
I recently demoed a new software tool designed to enhance our clients’ training experience and strengthen sales enablement efforts. During the demo, I didn’t hide my enthusiasm. In fact, I even used the phrase “game-changer.” Talk about telegraphing a buying signal. Either way, I made it clear that I was highly interested.
Then we arrived at the pricing slide. The salesperson shared the price and in the same breath offered a 30% discount. To be clear…I never said the price was too high. I never asked for a concession. I never pushed back. Yet the seller offered a discount as if it were standard practice.
In that moment, something shifted. I was now less focused on the outcomes and more concerned about price. Here’s a summary of my mindset:
- The price is clearly negotiable. Whatever number he originally gave me no longer felt real. If he was willing to reduce the price that quickly, I assumed there was even more flexibility available.
- The original price felt inflated. If you immediately discount your solution, buyers naturally wonder whether the original price was ever legitimate in the first place. Trust begins to erode.
- More concessions are probably available. If the seller volunteered a discount without resistance, why wouldn’t I ask for more? Additional concessions now feel expected.
- The perceived value of the solution decreases. This may be the most damaging consequence of all. If the seller is willing to discount so quickly, I start questioning whether the solution is truly worth the investment.
Everything I experienced as a buyer is what your customers experience if you lead with discounts. Price is not just a number. Price is an indicator of value. Buyers associate higher prices with better outcomes, stronger results, or superior expertise.
A premium price creates curiosity. Buyers naturally wonder…What makes this solution worth more? That curiosity creates an opportunity for the seller.
Your role is to close that gap by clearly communicating value, outcomes, and opportunity.
Help customers understand not only what the solution does, but also what becomes possible because of it.
Instead of asking, “What discount should I give?” Ask, “What does our solution allow the customer to achieve tomorrow that they cannot achieve today?”
When buyers clearly see the value, price becomes far less important.