By Simon Severino, founder of Strategy Sprints, where 2,400+ B2B founders have gone through our programs. Updated October 2026.

Mention the price in Step 6, Investment, of the 8 Steps of the Repeatable Sale. That's after the buyer has said what doing nothing costs them (Step 4) and what they want delivered (Step 5). Even then, talk time and people before money. Asked earlier? Promise a straight answer in a few minutes, ask your questions first, and give a range if they push. 🐬

Do it in that order and your price stops sitting next to nothing. It sits next to the buyer's own number. 30,000 next to an empty space sounds expensive. 30,000 next to, say, the 480,000 a year a buyer just told you they're losing sounds small. That's how you land bigger deals at the price you want, without a single discount.

Why does my price sound too big when I say it early?

Minute three. The buyer leans in. "So.. how much is it?"

Your stomach tightens. Say it now and it sounds too big. Dodge it and you sound slippery.

A price never sounds big or small on its own. It always sits next to something. Say it in minute three, and it sits next to nothing. The buyer hasn't said a word about what the problem costs. So 30,000 sounds like 30,000 out of nowhere.

Picture Marie. Made-up name, very common founder. Consulting firm, hiring her first salesperson. She answers "how much?" right away, because dodging feels rude.

The buyer goes quiet. Then: "Can you send something over?" Two weeks later, she offers a discount. The deal goes stale. Then nothing. 🐯

That's the old way. Price before value. The deal shrinks, or it dies quietly. In The JOLT Effect (2022), Dixon and McKenna report that 40 to 60% of qualified B2B deals end in no decision. A price that lands next to nothing makes "no decision" the easiest answer.

What should the buyer say before I mention any number?

Two things, out loud, in their own words.

Step 4, Cost of Inaction. Ask: "What happens if you do nothing?" Then: "What does that cost you, in money, in time, and in energy?"

Then stay quiet. Let them say the number. It tastes bitter coming out of their mouth, and that's why it sticks.

Maybe it sounds like this (an illustrative example): "Four lost deals a quarter, about 30,000 each." Do the math with them. That's 120,000 a quarter. 480,000 a year.

Step 5, Deliverables. Ask: "What do you want achieved in the next 90 days? How will you know it worked?"

Write their exact words down. They become your proposal.

Now picture a whiteboard. On the left, 30,000 next to an empty space. On the right, 30,000 next to 480,000. Same price. Different deal. 🌴

We go deeper on this step here: bigger deals at the price you want, let the buyer name the cost first.

How do I bring up the price, word for word?

Step 6, Investment, has three parts. In this order.

1. Time: "How much time can you put into this each week?"
2. People: "Who on your team needs to be involved?"
3. Money: "Given what doing nothing costs you, what investment makes sense?"

Why this order? Time and people are easy yeses. The buyer pictures the work happening, their team in the room. By the time money comes up, they're already living in the result.

Then you say your number. Calm. Once. No apology, no "but we're flexible."

And then silence. Let it land.

Picture the other vendor. They said their price in minute three, next to nothing. You said yours in minute twenty-five, next to 480,000. 🐬

What do I say if they ask the price in minute three?

They will ask early. That's normal. Here's your line, word for word:

"Good question. You'll get a straight answer in a few minutes. First, can I ask a few questions so the number actually means something?"

It's hard to say no to that. You promised a straight answer, and you asked permission. You just took the lead back, politely.

If they push again, give your real range. Your lowest number and your highest. Then go straight back:

"Where you land depends on what you tell me next. What happens if you do nothing?"

You answered. You didn't hide. And you're back at Step 4.

Before Strategy Sprints, I coached 2,000+ teams, including Google, BMW and Airbus. The people with real pricing power did this again and again. They answered the question, then asked the next one.

Hiring salespeople? Give them these two lines on day one. A new rep who knows when the price comes up doesn't discount to fill the silence, and you stop being the only one who can close.

Why do so many founders price too low, and what fixes it?

A founder in our 200K Club put it in seven words: "I priced the first few too low."

Our Sales Gym shows one reason why. We isolate Step 6 as a drill. You say your price out loud, at full value, then hold the silence. No softening, no "but you also get."

I talked about this drill on the Systemology podcast. Almost everyone breaks the silence early. In the debrief, the same feeling comes up: "I felt like an imposter. Like I was handing them something that wasn't good enough."

Then the question that does the work: "Do you believe your service is bad?" "No. It's good." "Then let's look at why the silence felt like exposure, not confidence." 🐯

So low prices often aren't a math problem. They're a moment problem. The number comes out fast, buried under a discount, right when the buyer needs to see the most confidence.

The order fixes the moment. When the buyer has already said 480,000, your 30,000 doesn't need defending. You say it once and let it sit next to their number. That's pricing power, and it comes from the order, not from a thicker skin.

What should I check before I send a proposal?

One thing. Did the buyer say, in their own words, what doing nothing costs them?

If yes, finish Step 6, then Step 7, Starting Date: "Which start date are we committing to?" Then Step 8: send the Statement of Work, written in their words, before the next meeting.

If no, don't send it. Book a short call and ask Step 4 first. A proposal without the cost and the date is the one that goes quiet. Here's why: why prospects ghost you after the proposal.

Run this check before every proposal. After a few, you won't send one without it.

It feels slower. It's faster. One clear yes beats three weeks of "let me think about it." Bigger deals at your price, evenings back: that's what a Sprintlife is built on. 🌴

FAQ

Should I tell a prospect the price on the first call?
Only after Steps 4 and 5, the cost of doing nothing and the deliverables. If that happens on the first call, yes. If not, give a range when asked and book the next call.

How do I answer "how much is it?" without dodging?
Promise a straight answer in a few minutes and ask permission to ask a few questions first. If they push, give your real range, then ask what happens if they do nothing.

Is it bad to give a price range early?
No. A real range, lowest and highest, is an honest answer. Then go straight back to Step 4 so the final number lands next to the buyer's cost.

Why do buyers ask for a discount right after I say the price?
Usually because the price sits next to nothing. Without their own cost of inaction to compare it with, any number looks big, and a discount feels like the only way to make it smaller.

What do I do after I say the price?
Stop talking. Say it once, calmly, with no apology, and let the silence work. Then move to Step 7: "Which start date are we committing to?"

Want to practice the 8 Steps every week, with other founders? Join Sprint Club, 7 days free: https://www.strategysprints.com

Ready to accelerate now? Book a Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/strategysprint/discovery-call

Happy hunting.

Simon & The Sprinters 🐬⚡️🐆