How do you respond when a client says someone else is cheaper?
Don't match the price on the spot. Ask to compare scope, because a lower number often covers something different. Then offer choices: reduced scope at a lower price, or your full scope at your price. Say plainly that if price is the only factor, they should take the cheaper option. Honest confidence keeps your price meaningful.
A real example
A client replies to your proposal for a website rebuild.
What's being used on you
- 1The outside offerCipher 31 The Shield. The Shield lists manufactured scarcity, with examples like 'I have another buyer interested,' as a pressure pattern. A competing quote does the same job: it creates urgency. Some outside quotes are real and some are thin, so don't assume either. Ask what it covers and you'll find out which one you have.
- 2The two-door choiceCipher 29 The Third Option. 'Come down or lose the job' offers two doors, and both serve the client. The Third Option asks you to find the assumption underneath: that the two quotes cover the same work, and that price is the only variable. Challenge that and new options appear.
- 3The narrow frameCipher 12 The Reframe. The message reduces your proposal to one line, the price. The Reframe's Zoom Out widens the lens: scope, timeline, who does the work, and what happens when something goes wrong. You haven't argued. You've changed what is being compared.
What most people do
Most people drop the price straight away to keep the job. That shows the first number was soft, and tells the client the next ask will work too. The opposite mistake is getting defensive and attacking the competitor. Both react to the number instead of finding out what the client is actually comparing. A price is just the visible part of a comparison, and until you see the rest you are negotiating against a guess.
Three replies that hold your ground
Thanks for telling me. Could you send me their scope, or the key items it covers? I'd like to compare like for like and see where we differ.
I can't match a price without matching the scope. Here are two options: the full scope at the proposed price, or a reduced scope at a lower price. Which is closer to what you need?
I won't lower the price and quietly reduce the work. If you want a lower number, we can agree on what comes out. If price is the deciding factor, the other quote may be the right fit, and I'm fine with that.
How to handle it
- Thank them. Don't react to the number.
- Ask what the other quote includes.
- Compare scope, timeline, support, and risk in writing.
- Offer two or three clear options, each with its own price.
- Decide your floor before the call. If you can't meet their number, say so politely and let them choose.
When it isn't manipulation
Clients get cheaper quotes all the time, and many companies require several bids. A client is probably being straightforward if they share the quote, ask what is different, or tell you their budget. It is more likely a pressure move if the quote is vague, can't be compared with yours, or arrives with a short deadline and no details. When in doubt, ask one plain question about scope and watch how they answer.
Got a message like this?
Paste it into Cipher Operator. It names the move, points to the cipher, and writes three replies. 3 free reads a day, no account.
Decode my message, freeQuestions
Should I ask to see the competitor's quote?
You can ask, but some clients won't share it. A fair alternative is asking what the other quote covers: scope, timeline, support. You don't need the document to compare.
When is it right to lower my price?
When you've agreed on what changes: less scope, a longer timeline, a smaller team, or a bigger commitment from them. Lowering the price for the same work with no reason only teaches the client to ask again.
What if they go with the cheaper option?
Let them go politely and leave the door open: 'Understood. If it doesn't work out, I'm happy to talk again.' The Walk Away only works as leverage if you can actually do it, so set your floor before the conversation.
Related ciphers
Cipher 29, The Third Option. Cipher 33, The Walk Away. Cipher 31, The Shield. Cipher 19, The Agreement Trap. Cipher 12, The Reframe. Cipher 25, The Power of No.