Expensive is a comparison wearing a conclusion's clothes. Something is only expensive against something: a competitor, a budget line, a gut feel, or the price of doing nothing. The sentence tells you a comparison happened; it hides what the comparison was.

It's a different objection from “that's above our budget.” Budget is about allocation, where money is parked. Expensive is about value, whether the thing is worth it at all. Misdiagnose one as the other and you'll negotiate payment terms with someone who doesn't believe the price, or argue value with someone who already does.

If what they actually said was closer to “that's above our budget”, that's the allocation objection, a different conversation with a different counter. That page is here.

Ask for the comparison before defending the number: “Expensive against what?” Then stop talking. The answer routes the whole conversation: a competitor means a differentiation case, a gut feel means an anchoring case, and the cost of the problem means you haven't quantified the problem yet.

Re-anchor against the problem, not the product. The price only looks large next to zero; next to what the problem costs, it should look small. And if it doesn't, you've found the real issue: the pain isn't worth solving at your price for this buyer.

Don't discount on reflex. A price cut answers a value objection with an admission, and it teaches the buyer the number was soft. If the value case lands and the number still doesn't fit, that's the budget conversation, which is its own move.

“That's a lot of money.” An observation, not yet an objection. Agree, then put it next to the problem's cost.

“I can get this cheaper elsewhere.” A comparison you can finally see. Ask what's in the cheaper version; the gap is your differentiation case.

“Convince me it's worth it.” An invitation. Take it: one problem, one number, one sentence.