What should you say when a new lead asks for the price first?
Answer honestly and directly. If you can give a typical range, give it, along with what moves the price up or down. If you cannot price the job without details, say so, ask the one or two questions you need and explain why. Never dodge the question, and never invent a discount or a deadline to close the sale. A clear, honest answer usually builds trust, even when the number is not what they hoped.
Why people ask about price first
Price is often the first thing people want to know, usually to check whether you are in reach before they spend more time. It is a fair question, not a sign of a bad lead.
What to publish on your website is a separate choice, and the related answer on whether to put prices on your website covers it. A direct question in a reply deserves a direct answer either way.
Honest ways to answer
| Situation | What to say |
|---|---|
| The price is fixed | Say it plainly, with what it includes. |
| The price varies within a known range | Give the typical range and the two or three things that move it, such as the size of the job, how easy it is to reach, and how soon it is needed. |
| You cannot price it without details | Say so, ask the one or two questions you need, and say why each one matters. |
| You need to see the job first | Explain what the visit is for, how long it takes and whether it costs anything. |
Example replies
- "Most jobs like yours fall within [your usual range for this kind of job]. Where yours lands depends mainly on the size of the area and how easy it is to reach."
- "I want to give you a real number, not a guess. Two quick questions: roughly how big is the space, and when do you need it done?"
- "For this kind of work we need to look first, because the price depends on what we find behind the wall. The visit takes about 20 minutes."
What not to do
- Dodge. "It depends" with nothing after it, or insisting on a call before saying anything at all, often makes people move on.
- Invent urgency or discounts. A "today only" offer that is not real tends to damage trust once it is spotted.
- Quote low to get in the door and then raise the price.
- Argue about value before they have heard a number.
After you answer
If the price does not fit, say so kindly and record the lead as lost, with budget as the reason. If price comes up first in most of your inquiries, it may be worth explaining on your website how your pricing works, so people arrive already knowing.
Related answers
- Should a service business put prices on its website?
- How do you write a good first reply to a new inquiry?
- What should you do with a lead you cannot serve?
Lead systems and lead tracking
A lead that waits a day goes cold, and a lead with no source teaches you nothing. Ascent Vision fixes both.