They’re Not Cheap—They’re Scared: How to Sell When Buyers Won’t Stop Talking Price

You know the drill. You’ve got a product that actually works, case studies with real numbers, and a pitch tailored to their pain points. Then, like clockwork: “Yeah, but what’s your bottom-line number?”

Suddenly, the conversation isn’t about fixing their inventory nightmares or doubling their lead flow. It’s a haggle session where your solution gets reduced to a line item.

Here’s the truth: Buyers don’t actually care about price. They care about risk.

The Real Reasons Smart Buyers Fixate on Cost

1. “What if I look stupid?” (The Fear of Overpaying)

Imagine you’re the procurement manager at a mid-sized manufacturing firm. Your last vendor oversold and underdelivered, and now the CFO side-eyes every budget request. Of course you’ll obsess over pricing—your reputation’s on the line.

What works:

• “I get it—nobody wants to explain an overspend to their board. Let’s walk through where this pays for itself by Q3.”
• Show them the cost of doing nothing. Example: *”Acme Corp was losing $12k/month in overtime before they implemented this. What’s your team’s burn rate on manual processes?”*

2. “But Competitor X Said…” (The Comparison Game)

Buyers will casually drop: “We’re talking to another vendor who’s 30% cheaper.”What they don’t say? That vendor’s solution requires two full-time admins to manage—a hidden cost they haven’t factored in.

What works:

• “Apples-to-apples, are they including onboarding and priority support? Here’s what gets cut at that price point.”
• Flip it: “If we could match that price but had to remove [critical feature], would that work for your team?” (Spoiler: It never does.)

3. “I’ll Wait for a Better Deal” (Analysis Paralysis)

Some buyers treat purchasing like Black Friday shopping—convinced a bigger discount lurks around the corner. Meanwhile, their shipping delays are costing them customers daily.

What works:

• Create urgency with real consequences: “Every month you delay, you’re eating $8k in wasted labor. We can lock in current pricing if we move by Friday.”
• Offer a pilot: “Try it for 60 days—if we don’t hit these KPIs, you walk away.”

When Big Companies Bully (And How to Push Back)

Enterprise buyers love to flex: “We’re [Famous Brand], we expect preferred pricing.” But capitulating trains them to treat you like a commodity.

Better moves:

• “Our standard clients get 95% uptime. Our enterprise tier—which includes dedicated engineering support—delivers 99.9%. Which aligns with your needs?” (Makes them choose, not demand.)
• *”We can discuss discounts at 3+ licenses—let’s first confirm this solves the problem for your Chicago team.”* (Postpones the money talk.)

The Magic Question That Changes Everything

When price pressure hits, stop justifying. Ask:
“What would need to be true for this to feel like an obvious yes?”

Their answer reveals whether it’s truly about budget (rare) or one of these unspoken fears:

• “I need to prove ROI to my boss.” → Give them an internal pitch deck.
• “I don’t trust timelines.” → Add penalty clauses for missed deadlines.
• “Last vendor screwed us.” → Introduce your customer success team.

Remember: Price Is Just the Scapegoat

The CFO grilling you about costs? She’s really thinking: “If this fails, it’s my neck.” The procurement manager demanding discounts? He’s measured on short-term savings, not long-term value.

Your job isn’t to lower the number—it’s to make the investment feel inevitable. Because when a buyer truly believes your solution will make them look brilliant? The price conversation ends.