33 Powerful Scripts to Handle Price Objections in Sales

Last Tuesday, Mike lost a $50K deal. The prospect loved everything. Asked smart questions. Then she said the price was too high. Mike panicked and offered a 20% discount. She still said no.

Price objections are rarely about price. When someone says "it's too expensive," they're usually saying "don't see why it's worth the money" or "scared of making the wrong choice" or "my boss will kill me if this doesn't work."

The worst reps hear "too expensive" and immediately start cutting their price. The best reps hear it and start a different conversation entirely.

These 33 responses work. Not the corporate training jargon that sounds like a robot wrote it. Real words that real people say to real prospects when money comes up.

When They Don't Have the Money (Scripts 1–6)

"It's not in the budget" kills more deals than anything else. Budget problems come in two flavors. Sometimes there really isn't any money. Usually, there is money, just allocated somewhere else.

Your job is figuring out which one you're dealing with.

Script 1: "We get the budget thing. What if we split this across two quarters?"

Don't make it sound like you're doing them a favor. Just say it like it's normal. Because it is.

Script 2: "When you do get budget, what would you want to fix first?"

This moves the conversation from spending money to solving problems. Then shut up and let them talk.

Script 3: "Other teams like yours paid for this by cutting other expenses. It saved them 18% on monthly costs. Would something like that work?"

Real examples beat everything. Have the numbers ready.

Script 4: "What if we started small this month and expanded next quarter? Would that fit better?"

Most people can find money for a pilot. They just can't find money for the whole thing.

Script 5: "If price weren't an issue at all, would you still want to do this?"

Only ask this if you trust them. It tells you if the budget is the real problem or just an excuse.

Script 6: "Budget planning starts soon, right? Want to sketch out the numbers so you're ready?"

Turn waiting into preparation. Give them something simple they can use.

When a Competitor Is Cheaper (Scripts 7–11)

Your prospect says, "Your competitor offers the same thing for half the price."

They're testing you. They want to see if you'll panic or if you believe your solution is worth more.

Script 7: "Lower price doesn't mean lower cost. Our setup takes two weeks instead of two months. How much is that speed worth to you?"

Point out what cheap solutions can't do. Then ask them to put a number on it.

Script 8: "Want to see how customers usually make their money back in 90 days? If the return beats their discount, you're making money."

Don't defend your price. Prove it pays for itself.

Script 9: "Could match their price, but we'd have to remove some features. What would you be okay with losing?"

Make the trade-offs real. Don't sound defensive about it.

Script 10: "The features might look the same, but we guarantee 99.9% uptime in writing, like many leading providers. How important is that?"

Find something only you do and make sure it matters to them.

Script 11: "Smart to compare options. What matters most to you? Let's see how everyone stacks up on what counts."

Don't compete on price alone. Control what they're comparing.

When the Timing Is Wrong (Scripts 12–16)

"This isn't the right time" usually means "scared of making a decision right now."

Script 12: "When would be the right time? And what needs to happen before then?"

Get a real date instead of "maybe later."

Script 13: "Budget opens next quarter? Let's try a small test now so you know it works when the money comes."

Keep momentum during the wait. Turn delay into validation.

Script 14: "You said you wanted to cut manual work by 20% this year. What happens if you wait six more months?"

Connect timing to their goals. Make waiting cost something.

Script 15: "Your team is swamped? What if we did this in phases so they only spend a few hours at a time?"

Break it down so it doesn't feel overwhelming.

Script 16: "No problem waiting. Can send you quick updates on what other customers are seeing? Then you'll have the business case ready when timing improves."

Stay helpful, not pushy. Build the case while they wait.

When They Don't See the Value (Scripts 17–22)

"Don't see the ROI" means you haven't connected your solution to something they care about.

Script 17: "Help me understand what success looks like for you."

Find out what they want before you explain anything.

Script 18: "If this saves your team six hours per week, what else could they work on?"

Make time savings real. Get them to imagine the possibilities.

Script 19: "Some companies have saved up to $48K in the first quarter after implementing similar solutions. They had the same question."

Real stories from similar companies work better than made-up examples.

Script 20: "Think of it as $9 a day for reports that currently take hours to build, which is considerably less than hiring a dedicated employee."

Make big numbers feel small by breaking them down.

Script 21: "Try it with three people for two months. When you see the results, we'll talk about expanding."

Let the results speak for themselves.

Script 22: "Where will you be in a year if nothing changes? What's that costing you?"

Help them calculate the cost of doing nothing.

When Someone Else Has to Approve It (Scripts 23–27)

Internal approval kills deals that prospects want. Your job is giving your champion ammunition that makes approval easy.

Script 23"What do they care about most? Will send you a one-page summary that speaks their language."

Don't send generic materials. Tailor it to what matters upstairs.

Script 24"When your boss sees it pays for itself in three months, is that easier to approve?"

Reframe from cost to payback.

Script 25"If we split payments across quarters, does that help with cash flow?"

Finance departments like flexible terms.

Script 26"Who else reviews pricing? Would rather answer their questions now than have them kill it later."

Prevent silent nos by addressing concerns early.

Script 27"Since you can't approve this alone, who's the final decision maker? A quick call might save time."

Get to the real decision maker before your deal dies in committee.

When They're Worried About Risk (Scripts 28–33)

When people worry about contracts and commitments, they're imagining worst-case scenarios. Make the downside smaller.

Script 28"Fair enough. Start with 90 days. If we don't hit our targets, walk away."

Shorter commitments feel less scary.

Script 29"Here's our guarantee plus three stories from the last two months. What would make you comfortable?"

Proof beats promises every time.

Script 30"Staying put costs you $X per quarter. Is doing nothing really safer?"

Point out that not deciding is also a decision.

Script 31"Will send the legal-friendly version with notes on the two clauses that protect your data."

Make their lawyer's job easier.

Script 32"Pay as we deliver results. You only pay the next chunk when you hit the milestones."

Tie payments to outcomes, not calendar dates.

Script 33"Want a performance clause? If we don't hit agreed metrics after year one, you can exit."

Align your success with theirs.

How to Make This Work

Watching hundreds of reps use scripts like these reveals something important. The words matter less than how you say them.

Memorized lines sound robotic. Prospects can tell when you're reciting something, and they tune out immediately.

The trick is treating each script as a starting point, not a final answer. Use your own words. Reference their specific situation. Tell stories from customers who remind you of them.

Smart reps record themselves practicing these conversations. They listen back and fix anything that sounds unnatural. After a few weeks, the responses start feeling automatic.

The reps who get the best at handling objections are usually the ones who've been rejected the most. They're not trying to be clever anymore. They just talk like normal humans.

Practice helps, but it only works if it feels real. Most role-playing exercises are terrible because they're too fake. You need scenarios that stress you out, with feedback that helps you improve.

Turn Scripts Into Natural Conversation

These scripts work when they don't sound like scripts. When you're not scrambling for words, you can focus on the conversation.

That happens through repetition with realistic practice. The kind that most sales teams struggle to create consistently.

Exec's AI roleplays solve this problem simply. You practice with AI prospects that respond naturally to what you say. You practice with real objections from your industry, and get immediate feedback on delivery and tone.

No scheduling conflicts. No waiting for colleagues to play pretend customer.

Want to see how natural these responses can become? Book a demo, and practice with AI prospects that feel surprisingly real.