Episode #245: That Sounds Pricey

When a buyer in Japan says, “That sounds pricey,” most salespeople feel a spike of pressure to defend the number. The best salespeople feel something else: opportunity. This objection is predictable, simple to handle when trained, and often the doorway to closing a deal without discounting. In Japanese business-to-business selling, how you respond in the next 10 seconds can decide the size of the contract.

Because it’s the most common pushback after a proposal, and it usually doesn’t mean the buyer rejects your value. It means they need clarity on how your value fits their world.

Trained professionals expect this moment, stay calm, and move the conversation forward. Untrained salespeople argue, pressure, or discount. That turns a solvable objection into a trust problem.

Mini-summary: “Pricey” is not a dead end. It’s a signal the buyer needs justification or a better fit—not a lower price.

What is the single best response to “That sounds pricey”?

Say:

“Thank you. May I ask you why you say that?”

That’s it.

Not “compared to what?” (too sharp).
Not instant discounting (weakens value).
Not debating or bulldozing (destroys trust).

This one question moves pressure back to the buyer and opens the real issue.

Mini-summary: A calm “why” turns price resistance into a discovery conversation.

What is “tossing back the porcupine,” and why does it work?

The objection “pricey” is like a spiky porcupine tossed at you—hard to catch without pain. When you ask “why,” you toss it back.

Now the buyer must explain their thinking. You can stay cool, listen deeply, and understand what is actually blocking agreement.

This works especially well in Japan, where buyers may take time before answering. Silence is not hostility—it’s processing.

Mini-summary: “Tossing back the porcupine” shifts the burden of explanation to the buyer and reveals the real obstacle.

What kinds of hidden reasons sit behind “pricey” in Japan?

Common real causes include:

• Budget timing limits (quarterly or fiscal constraints)

• Comparison to another vendor

• Internal approval politics

• Unclear value linkage to outcomes they care about

• Risk avoidance and desire for proof

The key is: you can’t address what you don’t uncover.

Mini-summary: Price objections are usually about context—budget, comparisons, or risk—not your number.

Example: An HR team says your training fee is “pricey.”
You ask “why,” then wait.
They explain their quarterly budget cap.

Your move:
“If we spread the payment across two quarters, would that help?”

Same price. Better fit.

You didn’t lower value—you adjusted structure.

Mini-summary: Keep the price, change the payment shape to match their internal system.

This is where value justification must be packed heavy.

You calmly explore:

1. What “same” means to them

2. What outcomes they expect

3. What risks they want to avoid

4. What proof they trust

Then you differentiate with facts:

• Track record

• Quality standards

• Trainer capability

• Client results

• Global credibility and local depth

For Dale Carnegie Tokyo, that includes over a century of global expertise and decades in Japan, serving both 日本企業 (nihon kigyō — Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (gaishikei kigyō — multinational/foreign-affiliated companies).

Mini-summary: Don’t fight comparisons—reframe them with evidence of true differences.

How can you prove value so price feels justified?

Use credible proof points buyers respect:

• Demo sessions with decision makers

• Clear before/after outcomes

• Satisfaction scores and Voice of Customer data

• Case examples relevant to Japan and Tokyo (東京 — Tōkyō)

When buyers can experience the difference, “pricey” often disappears.

Mini-summary: Evidence and direct experience convert perceived expense into justified investment.

How do professional sales teams prepare for “pricey” objections?

They don’t wing it.

They practice:

• The calm “why” response

• Silence tolerance

• Empathetic listening

• Value-based justification

• Multiple non-discount solutions

This is core to high-level 営業研修 (eigyō kenshū — sales training) and プレゼンテーション研修 (purezenteeshon kenshū — presentation training) because objections usually come right after your pitch.

Mini-summary: Preparation turns a predictable objection into a predictable win.

• “That sounds pricey” is a normal, solvable objection in Japan.

• Respond with “Thank you. Why do you say that?” and listen.

• Most price objections hide budget structure or comparison issues, not value rejection.

• Win without discounting by re-fitting the offer and proving outcomes.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.