“This is too expensive”
A sales leader agrees the problem is real but has not tied it to a cost. Price comes up first.
This is too expensive.
Skill testedClassifying a price concern before responding
Two briefs. Hand each sheet to one person only.
“This is too expensive”quotain.com/scenarios/too-expensive-objection
Rep brief
Everything the seller may know before the call.
- Account context
- A sales leader agrees that inconsistent discovery is a problem. The team has budget this quarter.
- What you know
- The buyer described the skill gap but did not quantify its effect or name a deadline.
- What you need to learn
- Is the barrier budget availability, perceived value, approval, scope, or negotiating posture?
“This is too expensive”quotain.com/scenarios/too-expensive-objection
Buyer brief Private
For the person playing the buyer. Keep the difficulty at guarded for the first attempt and the retry.
- Open with
- “This is too expensive.”
- What you may mean
- Choose one before the call: the budget is locked, you do not see enough value, another project has priority, or you want a lower price.
- Context
- You have not connected the problem to a financial or execution cost.
- How to react
- If the rep discounts or repeats features, hold your position.
- If the rep asks how the budget decision works or returns to your stated problem, reveal which concern sits behind the price.
“This is too expensive”quotain.com/scenarios/too-expensive-objection
Score the attempt. One row per pass criterion.
| Pass criterion | Met | Partly | Missed | Evidence (quote or timestamp) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifies the type of price concern. | Met | Partly | Missed | Evidence |
| Agrees on a next action that fits it. | Met | Partly | Missed | Evidence |
Also counts as a pass
- Return to the buyer's stated problem
- Ask how the budget decision works
- Narrow the scope
- Schedule a review with the budget owner
- Pause if there is no funded need
Listen for
- Discounting before diagnosis.
- Inventing ROI.
- Repeating features.
- Treating every price concern as a negotiation.
Debrief
- Which type of price concern was it, and what told the rep?
- Did the next action fit that type?
Retry
One retry goal
Live call to check it on
Next scenarios. Same skill area, a different buyer.
From the guide Objection Handling Roleplay: 7 Scenarios and a Scorecard, which covers how to run, score and retry these scenarios.
Practice this buyer with AI.
Quotain plays the buyer from this brief, holds the difficulty and scores every retry.