How to Respond to "Just Send Me Your Pricing"

1. Acknowledge

Say yes, and give a number. "Of course, it starts at [range] and depends on [two variables]" answers the question and removes the suspicion that you are hiding something. Buyers who have to fight for a number assume it is bad. Giving the range up front earns you the right to ask the questions that make it accurate.

2. Clarify

Ask what they are pricing for and why now. Users, teams, volume, and timeline tell you what quote to build. "Is this to decide whether to talk further, or whether to buy?" tells you where you are in their process. Ask who else they are getting pricing from and what they are comparing on, because if the comparison is on list price alone, you need to know that before you send a number that will be judged that way.

3. Reframe

Shift from "what is the price" to "what are you comparing". If the buyer is building a spreadsheet, help them build it properly: what should be included in the comparison, what costs sit outside the licence, what the difference in outcome looks like. If they have a budget ceiling, reframe to what scope fits inside it. The price is the same either way; the frame it lands in is what you control.

4. Ask

Send the pricing with a question attached and a time to discuss it. "I'll send it today for [scope]; can we take fifteen minutes on Thursday to go through what's included, because the comparison usually isn't like-for-like?" If they refuse any conversation and only want the number, send it and accept that you are in a price comparison, then make sure your email explains the comparison in your favour.

On a cold call

Sure, it starts at [range] for [basic scope] and goes up with [variable]. So I send you something accurate rather than a list price you'll have to decode: roughly how many people would use it, and is this for one team or across the company? [Listen.] Okay, I'll send you a specific number for that today. Is this to decide whether we're worth a conversation, or are you already comparing options?

On a discovery call

Happy to, and I'll give you the number now rather than make you wait: for what you've described, it's roughly [specific figure]. What I'd suggest is I send the full breakdown today, and we take fifteen minutes to go through what's in and what isn't, because if you're comparing us with [likely competitor], they price [implementation or support] separately and the headline won't be like-for-like. Does that work?

After a demo

Of course. Based on what you said matters, [scope] comes to [figure], and that includes [what's included]. Before I send the formal version, two questions: is there a budget range this needs to fit, and who else will see it? I ask because if [finance or procurement] is going to compare it to something, I'd like to make sure the comparison includes [total cost items] rather than just the licence line.

Late in the deal

You've had the pricing for a while, so if you're asking for it again I'm guessing someone else needs to see it or something has changed. Which is it? If procurement wants a version in their format, tell me the format and I'll do it today. If the scope has changed, let's adjust it together rather than me guessing. And if another vendor has come in lower, I'd rather know so we can compare properly.

By email

Of course. For [scope based on what you know], the pricing is [figure or range], which includes [what's included]. Two things that usually matter when comparing: [cost item typically excluded by competitors] and [second item]. If you can tell me the number of users and whether this is one team or the whole company, I'll send an exact quote. And if there's a budget it needs to fit, tell me and I'll propose the scope that does.