Key Takeaways :
Category 1: Customer Perfectly Fitting Your ICP
- Hold back the price and do the value selling first.
- Focus on ROI, pain points, and long-term benefits.
- Reveal price only after they see the full value.
Category 2: Unsure if Customer Fits Your ICP
- Start with value selling but also drop pricing hints early in conversations
- Gauge their budget tolerance to avoid wasting time.
- If the price is too high for them, "lose fast."
Category 3: Customer Completely Outside Your ICP
- Give the price upfront to avoid unnecessary discussions.
- If they can’t afford it, disqualify fast and move on.
- If they’re still interested despite the price, then do value selling.
When should you tell the customer the price? And when should you hold back and focus on value selling?
These are questions every B2B salesperson struggles with.
Because let’s face it – price is often the elephant in the room.
Customers want to know it right away.
Salespeople? Well, they’re often caught in the middle.
Do you give the price upfront and risk scaring them off?
Or do you hold it back, walk them through the value, and then reveal it?
Here’s the thing: There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
It depends on the type of customer you’re dealing with.
In B2B complex sales, especially in the enterprise space, this decision can make or break a deal.
I’ve been there – navigating the tricky world of B2B sales, trying to figure out the right moment to drop the number.
And trust me, there’s a method to this madness.
In this guide, I’m going to break it down for you.
We’ll talk about:
- When to focus on value selling.
- When to reveal the price upfront.
- And how to know the difference.
Because not every customer should take the same approach.
Understanding the Three Customer Categories
Before we jump into the strategies, let’s talk about something crucial.
Every sales organization must have a clearly defined Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
And when I say ICP, I’m not talking about buyer personas.
I’m talking about the specific type of customer who’s perfect for your solution.
Every seller on your team should know exactly who falls into their ICP.
It’s not just a nice-to-have – it’s essential.
Understanding where your customer stands is key.
Because when you know this, you’ll know exactly when to:
Hold back the price and focus on value, or Give the price upfront and move on quickly if needed.
Here are the 3 categories
- Customers who perfectly fit your ICP (Category 1)
- Unsure If the customer matches your ICP (Category 2)
- Customers completely outside your ICP (Category 3)
Each of these requires a different approach when it comes to disclosing price and value-selling. Lets see how
Category 1: Customers who perfectly fit your ICP
Alright, let’s talk about the dream scenario – the perfect-fit customer.
This is the customer who ticks all the boxes:
- They need exactly what you’re offering.
- They have the budget.
- They’re the right industry, size, and type.
- And most importantly, they’re ready to see value.
In sales lingo, this is someone who falls 100% inside your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
So, how to handle such customers?
Hold the price. Focus on value selling first
Why?
Customers who fit your ICP are looking for a solution—not just the cheapest option.
If you drop the price too early, you risk the customer anchoring on the number instead of the outcomes your product or service delivers.
Think of it like this –
You don’t go into a high-end store and get hit with the price tag the second you walk in. First, they let you touch, feel, and see the value.
Sales work the same way.
In our multiple b2b sales trainings, we also enable sales pros on this value-first approach consistently leads to higher deal sizes and better close rates for ideal-fit customers.
How to approach value selling with ideal customers?
1. Start by uncovering pain points
Don’t jump straight into your pitch.
Ask real questions to uncover customer needs:
- “What challenges are you currently facing?”
- “What’s costing you the most time or money right now?”
- “What’s your ideal outcome?”
This sets the stage for how your solution directly addresses their pain.
2. Tailor the value proposition
Once you know their struggles, align your solution to fix them.
For example:
“You mentioned that manual processes are slowing your team down. Our platform automates 80% of that workflow, freeing up your team to focus on bigger projects.”
This makes the conversation about them, not about your product.
3. Highlight benefits, not features
Features are good, but customers care about outcomes.
Instead of saying:
“Our software has advanced data analytics and AI-driven insights.”
Say:
“Our clients save an average of 15 hours a week using our AI-powered reports—translating to about $50K in annual savings.”
Big difference, right?
4. Handle the price question smartly
Now, what if the customer asks for the price before you’re ready?
No problem.
Use a soft delay like:
“Great question! I’ll definitely share that, but I want to make sure you fully see how this will solve your core challenges first. That way, the pricing makes total sense when we get there. Sound fair?”
This keeps them engaged and lets you control the flow.
5. When to finally drop the price?
Don’t rush.
Even if the customer seems eager, hold off until you’ve fully walked them through the value.
Because here’s the truth:
The longer you hold the price (without stalling), the more time you have to anchor them to the value – not the cost.
Once they:
- See the value
- Understand the ROI
- And are clearly interested
That’s your moment.
By now, the price feels justified—not just a random number.
And often, they’ll view it as an investment, not a cost.
Category 2: Unsure if the Customer Fits Your ICP
Now, let’s talk about the trickiest group—the customers you’re unsure about.
They might fit your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)… or they might not.
At first glance, they seem like a good lead.
But there are a few question marks:
- Do they really have the budget?
- Are they serious buyers or just exploring?
- Do they actually need what you’re selling?
And here’s the problem – this is where most salespeople waste the most time.
The Key Strategy Here?
Lead with value – but give early price signals.
You don’t want to dump the price right away and scare them off.
But you also don’t want to spend hours on demos and deep dives only to hear:
“Oh, I didn’t realize it was that expensive. We can’t afford that.”
How to handle customers who are an unsure fit of your ICP?
1. Start with Value Selling
You treat them as if they are a potential ICP fit – at least in the beginning.
- Ask about their pain points.
- Understand their goals.
- Walk them through how your solution could help.
This builds interest and gets them thinking about outcomes, not costs.
But here’s where it gets different from Category 1.
2. Drop Early Pricing Hints
You want to test the waters – to see how they react to the ballpark pricing.
Use phrases like:
- “Typically, clients in your space invest anywhere between X and Y for solutions like this.”
- “This isn’t the cheapest tool out there, but it’s designed for companies looking for long-term ROI.”
- “Our clients usually see a full return on investment within 6 months.”
Watch how they respond.
If they stay engaged, great—keep going.
If they start backing off or seem uncomfortable, that’s a red flag.
3. Understand Their Budget Tolerance
This is the part most salespeople skip – but it’s critical.
Instead of bluntly asking, “What’s your budget?” (which rarely works), try:
- “How does your team typically approach investments like this?”
- “Where does this fall in terms of priority for your business right now?”
- “Have you worked with similar solutions before? How did you handle budgeting for that?”
These questions feel less aggressive but still give you insight into what they can spend.
4. Know When to Walk Away
If during the process, it becomes clear that:
- They can’t afford it.
- They’re not serious buyers.
- Or they’re expecting a completely different solution.
It’s time to walk.
Remember:
“Losing fast” is better than wasting weeks on a deal that you are eventually going to lose.
Category 3: Customers Completely Outside Your ICP
Now, let’s talk about the easiest—but often the most overlooked category :
The customers who are clearly not a fit.
They show interest, maybe even schedule a call, but from the start, you can tell:
- They don’t have the budget.
- Their needs don’t align with your solution.
- They’re just browsing or window shopping.
And here’s where I’ve seen most salespeople make a mistake
They treat these leads like serious prospects.
During our b2b sales consulting engagement, I usually hear leaders say this all the time:
“Our team is having a lot of conversations, but nothing is converting into real opportunities.”
More often than not, the issue isn’t effort – it’s misplaced effort.
Sales teams spend too much time doing value selling for customers who were never the right fit to begin with.
This is exactly why knowing when to lead with price and when to lead with value is so important.
So, how to handle customers who are completely outside your ICP?
1. Give the Price Upfront.
Don’t waste your time here, give them the price in the first interaction itself.
And if they fall off the chair hearing your price, you can qualify out the deal quickly.
This is where the whole “lose fast” mentality really shines.
Because as a seller, your time is precious.
The faster you disqualify non-fit customers, the more time you can spend closing real deals.
2. Handle It Without Being Rude
The key here is to stay polite but direct.
Try something like:
“Our solutions typically start at [price point], depending on customization. Does that fit within your budget expectations?”
Or:
“Just so we’re aligned, most of our clients invest between X and Y for this solution. Does that sound like what you’re aiming for?”
This gives them an easy out without awkwardness.
3. What to Do if They're Still Interested
Sometimes, even if they’re outside your ICP, they might say:
“That’s more than we planned, but I’m open to learning more.”
If that happens – great.
Go deeper, do the value selling.
But now you’re doing it knowing they’re aware of the price range.
So there would be no surprises or price shock later.
How to Spot a Category 3 Customer Fast ?
Before you invest time, look for these red flags:
- They focus entirely on price from the start.
- Their company size, industry, or needs fall completely outside your Ideal Customer Profile.
- They make comments like, “We’re just exploring options” or “We’re looking for the cheapest solution.”
The faster you spot these signs, the better.
My Thoughts on Balancing Price and Value Selling
There’s one thing I want sales teams to take away from this, it’s this:
You should not handle every customer with the same approach.
- Some customers need value selling first.
- Some need price clarity upfront.
- And some? You need to walk away from – fast.
The key is knowing which customer you’re dealing with and adjusting your strategy accordingly.
I’ve always said – sales teams need to be mindful of their time.
Because in the end, it’s not about how many deals you chase.
It’s about how many of the right deals you close.
And that’s where great sales professionals excel.
Great sales professionals do proper opportunity qualification
So next time you’re in a sales conversation, ask yourself:
“Am I selling smart, or am I just chasing?”
If it’s the latter, it might be time to lose fast and move on.
Because the real wins? They come when you focus on the right customers.
