Work: sales and customers
How to talk to customers when money and decisions are on the line
Customer conversations get hard when you hear “no”, “too expensive” or nothing at all. Pick a situation, read how to handle it, and practice with an AI client who has their own budget, worries and reasons they do not share right away.
Conversations to practice
- I am calling a prospect who does not know meHow to open a cold call so the prospect keeps listening
- I am following up on a proposalHow to follow up after sending a proposal
- A client is asking me for a discountHow to respond when a client asks for a discount
- A client picks up after weeks of silenceWhat to say to a client who stopped responding after your proposal
- I am offering a client a bigger packageHow to offer an existing client more without it feeling like a sales pitch
- I am handling an upset guestHow to deal with a difficult customer face to face
- I am saying no to out-of-scope workHow to say no to a client who asks for work outside the contract
- I am discussing a contract renewalHow to talk to a client about renewing a contract
- A client says they are leaving for a competitorWhat to say when a client threatens to leave for a competitor
- I am meeting the client’s CEOHow to talk to a client’s leadership so they listen to the end
- I am telling a client my prices are going upHow to tell a client you are raising your prices without losing them
- My client has not paidHow to ask a client for overdue payment
- Handling a price objectionA buyer liked your demo. Now they say your price is too high compared to what they expected.
- Angry customer demanding a refundA customer calls for the third time about a faulty order and demands a full refund that falls outside your policy.
Three rules that help in every customer conversation
Ask before you pitch
A customer accepts an offer that answers their problem far more easily than a tour of everything you sell. Two good questions at the start save ten minutes of persuading.
Every concession buys something
A discount, extra scope or a faster deadline has a price. If you give something, ask for something back: a longer contract, a faster decision, a reference.
Every call ends with a step
A date for the next meeting, the person who will decide, a document to send. A conversation with no next step is usually the end of the deal.
Frequently asked questions
How do you respond when a customer says it is too expensive?
Do not defend the price straight away and do not offer a discount in your first sentence. Ask what they are comparing it with and what would need to change for the price to make sense. Often the real issue is budget timing, scope or a missing argument for their manager.
What should you do when a client goes quiet after a proposal?
Reach out with a concrete reason, not “just checking in”. Offer a short call about their doubts and make it easy for them to answer, including with a no. A clear no is worth more than a month of silence.
How do you tell a client about a price increase without losing them?
Tell them early and in person or by phone, not only in a new price list. Give the reason in one or two sentences, the date it takes effect and what they gain by committing early. Do not apologize for running a business.
How does sales practice with AI work?
You choose a situation and the AI plays a customer with a budget, objections and a hidden reason they reveal only when you ask the right question. You talk by voice or chat, and the report shows where you listened and where the call turned into a monologue.
See also
- Sales callsReal buyers are busy, polite and guarded. They say "send me something" when they mean no, and "it is too expensive" when the real issue is something else. Practice finding out what is actually going on.
- Customer serviceMost support conversations are routine. The hard ones are not: an angry customer, a policy you cannot bend, a problem that is partly your company's fault. Practice them before they reach a real queue.
- NegotiationIn a negotiation the other side knows things you do not: how far they can go, what they need most, what happens if you walk away. Practice uncovering that before you make your offer.
Practice the call before the customer picks up.
Choose a situation, talk to an AI customer who pushes back, and see in the report which questions opened the conversation.