This week I want to tackle something every coach, consultant, and training company faces:
When someone says, “I can’t afford it.”
It’s one of the trickiest moments in any sales conversation.
Do you push? Do you drop the price? Or do you walk away?
Here’s how I approach it, and how you can use the same mindset in your own business.
Let’s dive in and have a ponder…
How to Handle “I Can’t Afford It”
When someone says “I can’t afford it,” it usually means one of two things:
- Paying you would literally stop them paying rent or buying food.
If that’s the case, it’s a no. They can’t afford it, and that’s okay. - It feels uncomfortable.
And that’s where the real conversation starts.
Because if the problem you solve is costing them time, energy, clients, or money, then not working with you is more expensive than the fee itself.
Here’s how you can respond:
✅ Acknowledge the discomfort.
“I understand it feels like a stretch, but that’s often a sign it’s the right step.”
✅ Shift to value.
“What’s the cost of not solving this problem?”
✅ Share proof.
Show how your course, system, or coaching saves more than it costs.
That’s how I look at it too.
We’ve had calls with people comparing quotes from four other consultants, then choosing someone cheaper. That’s fine, but more often than not, we know what “cheap” really buys.
We don’t charge premium prices for the sake of it. We price around the value we deliver, because the right setup increases ROI, reduces waste, and pays for itself.
And yes, some people don’t see that.
Sadly, many end up with consultants who promise the earth and deliver hell. That’s their choice.
All we can do is work with clients who value what we bring, and understand what a real value exchange looks like.
👉 If pricing is something you wrestle with, you’ll also find more on this in Part 2 of my mini-series: Why Courses Don’t Sell, (and How to Price Them Properly)
AI Tip of the Week
Stress-test your sales copy with Perplexity.
Even if you've used GPT to help write the copy, you can take it a step further with Perplexity:
Paste in your draft sales copy - headline, offer, and benefits.
- Ask: “How would a potential customer with [X problem] read this? What objections might they raise?”
- Then ask: “Rewrite this to address those objections clearly.”
- Also ask it for FAQ's if you haven't created those yet.
This does two things:
- Shows you where your copy feels flat, confusing, or too generic.
- Helps you refine it so you’re answering objections before they’re even raised on a sales call.
It’s like running your offer through a focus group in minutes.
Our Kajabi Life: (Another) Schoolboy Error 🙈
Jules and I are building a fun little side project called ONE LIFE.
So last week, we popped across to Cádiz, one of the venues for our two-day reboots here in Spain.
What we didn’t realise was:
- The tourists hadn’t left
- A massive Moroccan market was on
- There were 3 Cruise Ships in
Utter chaos 🙈
Definitely not the scouting and filming trip we’d planned.
So what can you do?
Go for lunch, of course...
That's where we met a couple in a tapas bar who've now become our biggest fans on YouTube (and may want to do some business with us).
TBH, I'm half convinced the bloke is a spy. 🤔
Anyway, it’s a good reminder: Opportunities don’t always show up neatly packaged. Sometimes they’re hiding in the noise (or a Tapas bar).
Plus, Cádiz is only 30 minutes from us by ferry, so it's an excuse for another day out across the water.
It's a Kajabi life!
Responses