Price isn’t value. But price is an expression of value.
When your prospective client tells you that your price is too, what they are saying is that they don’t perceive enough value to pay that price. So the question you have to answer is “Do you sharpen your pencil or do you sharpen your value?”
Sharpening your pencil reduces the perception of value; it’s an admission that you aren’t creating enough value to command that price. Sharpening your value increases the perception of value (and sometimes, believe it or not, you can actually improve your value by raising your price).
Even though there is nothing you can do about your competitor’s price, often times that is what your price is being measured against. If you can’t justify what you do different and how that makes a measurable difference for your prospective client, then you can’t expect to command a higher price.
You need to understand your prospect’s perception of value.
You need to ask your prospect how are they assessing value. You need to uncover what they need to see that would increase their perception of value?
Price is an expression of value. Your prospect is objecting to your price. But the way you overcome that objection is to treat it like they are objecting to the value you are proposing.
The Other Side
If no one ever objects to your price, then there isn’t any question that you are creating a perception of value. Instead, the question is whether or not you are capturing enough of the value you create.
If no one every pushes back on your price then it’s likely you aren’t charging enough.
Questions
Is price really the objection? Or is the perception of value too low?
How do you understand your prospect’s perception of value?
How do you change your prospect’s perception of value?