If you’re a painting sales professional, it’s not a matter of if you’ll experience a price objection, but when. The good news is that there are specific strategies you can use to get ahead of these objections, better understand your prospect, and guide the way toward a positive outcome for both of you.
Notice we didn’t say: “Close the sale no matter what.” The goal here is to reduce friction through understanding and education, using a “we help people buy” mindset.
Let’s discuss:
- The three places where price objections happen.
- How to avoid price objections altogether (the ideal scenario).
- What your customer is really saying when you hear: “The price is too high.”
- Crafting a strategic response.
- Understanding your client’s perspective, and why it makes all the difference.
When Do Price Objections Happen?
In most cases, clients can get bogged down in one of these three spots:
1. The vetting stage — Especially if leads are a bit harder to come by right now, it’s easy to ignore red flags and cling tightly to everything in your pipeline. The vetting stage is a crucial milestone on the journey, both for you and your prospect, helping you each to know if this is going to work. And remember: it’s up to you to guide this process in a smart way.
2. At the estimate — Your prospect might ask for more time, or might say outright that the price is higher than they thought (both answers mean the same thing, by the way). Don’t take it personally or get defensive. This is the part where you listen, understand, educate, and capture the next step.
3. During the follow-up — If the price objection happens at this point, there was a breakdown in communication along the way. This is your final chance to make it work, maybe adjusting the job scope, reinforcing value differentiators, and exploring if they are open to showing you a competitor’s quote.
How to Avoid Price Objections When You’re Selling Painting Services
Let’s dig in more deeply, evaluating how to remove price-related roadblocks during these vulnerable stages of the selling process.
1. During the vetting stage
A lot of painting contractors hold pricing close to the chest, treating it like the last card to be played. Pricing shouldn’t be a big reveal, and you also shouldn’t cross your fingers and hold your breath while you wait to see if the number ruins everything.
For other contractors, the issue might be that it takes too long to generate pricing. That’s where a tool like PaintScout can make such a difference, streamlining your pricing process and allowing you to have an accurate figure (or ballpark) faster.
Here are a couple practical tips for guiding this early conversation:
- Share pricing, but not specifics: “A project like yours typically falls in this range…”
- Ask them if they’re looking for the lowest estimate. If yes, they’re likely not a good fit (unless that’s what you offer). If they say no, then it’s a chance to explore what they value, what’s important to them, and what you offer—to align your values. Remember, your role is to help the customer buy.
2. At the estimate
Let’s say the vetting process went well, you’re building rapport, and now it’s time to actually complete the estimate. How do you handle price objections at this stage?
Start with an initial consultation, sitting down with the homeowner. This is where you discuss their needs, expectations, past experiences… This background, and the “why” behind the project, helps you to know if those values we mentioned above are compatible. It’s okay if it’s not going to work, and it’s okay to tell them that.
Don’t discount the importance of your own demeanor at this stage, too. Being transparent about the fact that not every client and contractor are compatible relieves some immediate pressure. You’re not there to push a hard sell—you’re there to see if this is going to work and makes sense.
Present your initial range or findings, then (and this is key!) be quiet. Let the customer share. They’re going to download thoughts that you can use to determine the best path forward, all by better understanding where they are at that moment.
If they say the price is higher than they thought, try these techniques:
- Thank them, first and foremost, for telling you.
- Reiterate that there are a lot of variables.
- Let them know that you’ll need to ask some follow-up questions to better understand where they need to be in order to work with you.
- If they reference a lower estimate, ask if they’d be willing to compare estimates, just to be sure it’s apples to apples.
- Ask leading questions, directing the homeowner back to the value that drew them to you in the first place—a value that they likely aren’t seeing in the cheaper estimate (“…if I could lower my price by removing the warranty, would that interest you?”).
- Don’t get emotional or frustrated.
As a final note here, keep in mind that the only unacceptable response is NO response. They might not sign the contract, but get a commitment from them that, once they have made a decision, they will have that conversation with you directly.
3. In the follow-up stage
If the prospect returns and says the price is just too high, do your best to isolate the real problem. Ask if you’d have the opportunity to work together if your price was lower… If they say yes, ask why? Now you have a better understanding of what they value.
Remember, when a prospect says “the price is too high,” they’re also saying that the value is too low. If you can pinpoint what they really want and need, beyond price, then you can use that insight to gently point out the weaknesses in competing estimates and the strength of your own.
It’s also important to note that when you can talk about and share accurate pricing in the moment, your odds of winning the job increase dramatically. That’s why a tool like PaintScout is so crucial, giving you the data you need in real-time. Professional, attractive estimates in minutes, consistent pricing, and seamless workflows all contribute to a better experience for you and your prospect.
What’s Your Takeaway?
- Invest in the vetting stage. Guide the process, ask if they’re looking for the lowest estimate, and explore their goals. Your job here is to “help the customer buy,” and it starts with knowing what they want.
- Don’t hide your pricing. You don’t need to share down to the dollar, but start with a broad range/ballpark.
- Have the right tools. During the estimate, make sure you can provide fast, accurate pricing and an attractive proposal. This will quickly set you above other “napkin quotes” they might receive, plus it increases your chances of closing. This is where PaintScout shines.
- If they say your price is higher than expected… Ask if you can review the other estimates they’ve received, and use the opportunity to reinforce the value you know they’re looking for.
- In the follow-up stage… If they again say the price is too high, do your best to isolate the real problem. Ask if you’d have the opportunity to work together if the price was lower… If so, why?
- Never settle for “no response.” You need confirmation, giving you a final chance to understand your prospect’s hesitation.
Watch the Full Conversation
Jon Bryant & Michael Murray use their combined 30+ years of experience in the painting industry to dig deep into finding the tools, tactics, and tricks to help your painting business succeed.
