Inbound messaging
How to answer 'how much does it cost' without losing the thread
By Asen Levov, co-founder of Sellinger. Reviewed by Viktorio Shopov. Published . Last updated . 7 minute read.
When a prospect asks what it costs, answer with the real number if you have one, say what it includes, and ask one question that moves the conversation on. If the price depends on something you do not know, say what it depends on and ask for it. Never stall with "let me get back to you" when the answer is public. At our own hotel, replies that carried a price rose from 50% to 92% after one rule.
"How much does it cost?" is one of the best replies you can get to a cold message. The person has moved from curiosity to budget. It is also where many conversations die, because the answer is a promise to follow up, a request for a call, or a number with no context.
Why is the price question a buying signal?
Because people do not ask the price of things they have dismissed. A person who asks has begun to imagine paying. The next thirty seconds of the conversation decide whether that picture gets clearer or fades.
The cost of stalling is visible in our own hotel. Before a rule to quote as soon as the agent had dates and party, families with two or more children were handed to "a colleague who will send an offer", and those offers took from 3 hours to 7 days. After the rule the agent quoted from the official rate card, and the share of its replies that carried a price rose from 50% (9 of 18) to 92% (33 of 36). The comparison is small and not causal, and we did not test price against no price. Guests thanked the hotel for the prompt reply and the detailed pricing. Read the whole story in quote, don't stall.
What does a good answer contain?
Four things, in this order.
- The number. The real price, or a real range. Not "from" with nothing after.
- What it includes. The scope the number covers, in a line.
- What would change it. The one or two factors that move the price.
- One question back. Something that moves the conversation forward.
An example for a product with published plans, using Sellinger's prices: "The LinkedIn agent is $198 a month per agent for one or two agents. Email starts at $39 a month and bundles run from $249. There is a 30 day free trial with no card. How many people would you like to reach each week?"
An example for a custom quote: "For a team your size it is usually between X and Y a month, depending on how many accounts you connect. If you tell me the number of sender accounts, I can give you the exact figure."
What if the price is not public?
Say what it depends on, and ask for it. "It depends" alone is a stall. "It depends on the number of seats and whether you need the API, which two answers would give me the figure" is a reply.
Be honest about who answers. If a person decides prices, say so and give a time: "Our sales lead sends exact quotes. I will ask them to reply today by 17:00." Then make sure they do.
Never invent a price, a discount or a special offer. Sellinger's agents are built on facts only from the knowledge base, which is why price lives there and not in the persona. See the knowledge base page.
What should the agent do, and what should a person do?
| Situation | Who answers |
|---|---|
| Published price, plan or trial terms | The agent |
| A range the knowledge base holds | The agent, then a question |
| A discount, a bespoke bundle, a contract | A person |
| A comparison with a competitor's price | A link to a dated page, or a person |
| A price in another currency | The agent if listed, else a person |
The platform itself helps here. Sellinger's agent stops on its own when it cannot answer, for example a price it has no answer for, and a person can take over any conversation. At the hotel, groups, agencies and Booking.com messages went to staff, and the owner and his reply desk negotiated the group deals.
What are five answers to avoid?
- "Let me check and get back to you." For a public price.
- "Can we jump on a call to discuss pricing?" as the only answer. It turns a one line reply into a calendar task.
- A PDF price list with no summary. Say the number in the message.
- A number with no scope. "It's $500" with no unit or period.
- A pitch. The person asked a question. Answer it.
What does it look like in three situations?
These are made up examples to show the shape. They are not real conversations.
A published price. Prospect: "How much is it?" Reply: "Email starts at $39 a month and there is a 30 day free trial with no card. That covers one email agent. How many mailboxes would you want to send from?" The number, the scope and one question, in three sentences.
A price that depends on size. Prospect: "What does this cost for a team of ten?" Reply: "The price depends on how many agents you run, one per sender account, plus the channels you add. If you tell me which channels and how many people will send, I can give you the exact figure." It names the factors and asks for exactly the two missing details.
A price you cannot give. Prospect: "Can you do it cheaper if we sign for a year?" Reply: "Discounts and contract terms are set by a person on our side, so I have passed your question to them. They will reply in this thread today." The agent does not negotiate, and the promise has a time on it.
What if they say it is too expensive?
Do not drop the price. Ask what they are comparing it with. Often the comparison is with a salary or an agency fee, and that is a different conversation from a tool price. Use the pricing objection template as a starting point, offer the free trial if it is real, and stop if they say no. A trial that costs nothing but their time answers "is it worth it" better than any discount.
How do you keep the thread after the number?
Ask one question that you need anyway. Good ones are about size, timing or goal: how many people, when would you start, what would you want it to do. They keep the person talking and give a person the details for a better quote.
On our own account, the booking link typically went out after three prospect messages, and 56% of bookings confirmed in the chat needed at least one more nudge after the link. A price answer is often message two or three. Do not send the link in the same message unless the person asked for a call. See meeting booking with Cal.com and Calendly.
There is a pricing objection template for the case where the person says it is too expensive, and a playbook on answering guest inquiries with a quote.
How do you set it up for an AI agent?
Write the rule: "When a person asks about price, give the price from the knowledge base, say what it includes and ask one question. If the price is not in the knowledge base, say what it depends on, ask for the missing detail and hand over to a person. Never invent a price or a discount." Put the prices in the knowledge base and read the first twenty threads where a price came up.
A checklist
- [ ] The real price is in the first reply, if it is public.
- [ ] I say what it includes and what would change it.
- [ ] I ask one question back.
- [ ] Discounts and contracts go to a person.
- [ ] Prices live in the knowledge base, not in the persona.
- [ ] I never invent a number.
Common questions
Should I give a price in the first reply?
What if my price is custom?
Will quoting kill the deal?
Should the AI agent negotiate?
What are Sellinger's published prices?
How Sellinger helps
Read how it works on See pricing, or see a real campaign in Read the Hotel Pirin case study.
