Answering "too expensive" starts with knowing why it was written. People type it more readily than they say it. There is no awkward pause, no eye contact, and no obligation to continue. So it comes up more often in text — and more often means something other than the words.
What usually sits behind it
- Unclear what for. They have not seen the scope and are comparing your price against something simpler.
- A comparison with another quote. Often for a different scope, which they will not mention.
- No urgency. The job exists but can wait, and price is a polite exit.
- Actually no budget. The rarest of the four.
Different causes need different replies, so the first move is to find out which one it is rather than to answer immediately.
Replies that end the thread
"It's not expensive." Arguing with someone's perception. They stop replying.
An immediate discount. It says the price was inflated and devalues everything said before it. The next question will be about a further discount.
A long justification. A wall of text in response to two words reads as defensiveness.
What works
One short question that clarifies the cause: what they are comparing against, what scope they have in mind, what the deadline is. One, not three.
Then talk about composition rather than the sum: what is included, what can be dropped, what is priced separately. Reduce scope, not price — that keeps both the number and the logic intact.
Letting go
If they are still not ready after that, pushing in text rarely works and leaves a bad impression. A short reply and an open door is the right ending; a share of those people return later, and that is far cheaper than a new lead.
See also qualifying leads and cold outreach.
How Neurogram does this
Everything above is manual work that runs into the number of hours in a day. Neurogram does it on your own accounts and without you: it collects channels and audiences, writes comments and replies with a language model, and keeps limits and quiet hours so the accounts survive. See pricing or look at your case.