Originally Published as: Overcoming the Objection of Price By Adding Value: Have you ever lost a sale because your price was too high?

You don’t lose the sale because your price is too high. You lose the sale because the perceived value of your service is too low.

About the Author

DuraCraft Metal Roofing is on a mission to bless 10,000 homeowners with a lifetime metal roof so they never need to replace their roof again. Owner Isaac King lives in Paradise, Pennsylvania, with his wife Sadie and their two daughters, Martha and Fannie Beth. You can reach Isaac and his team at 717-682-4250.  

You put a lot of work into creating a detailed estimate or price sheet, only to have your customer choose a competitor because they were cheaper. It’s a frustrating situation — and one that many contractors face regularly.

So How Can You Overcome the Objection of Price?

There are really only two ways:

1. Lower your prices and erase your profits.

2. Increase the perceived value of your product or service.

If you’re like most business owners, you don’t enjoy struggling to make ends meet — so option one isn’t really a good choice.

Step 1: Change Your Mindset About Price and Value

At DuraCraft, we often hear objections like: “A metal roof is too expensive,” “Why would I spend 2–3x more?” or “I can’t afford it.”

Our approach is to agree that yes, a metal roof is a significant investment — and to empathize with the rising costs of home maintenance — while firmly believing that a metal roof is a smart decision because of its long-term value.

Key Facts to Reframe Price and Value:

1. Roof prices double every 15–25 years. A client who chooses lifetime metal is locking in today’s price — for good.

2. A roof that cost $400 one hundred years ago now costs $20,000. At that inflation rate, the same roof could cost $1,000,000 in another 100 years — enough to wipe out a millionaire.

3. When clients buy a lifetime metal roof, they’re essentially buying four roofs for the price of two. That’s a real bargain.

4. When a customer chooses shingles over metal, it’s rarely because of the price tag. It’s because they don’t yet understand the value of metal.

When your sales team clearly understands and communicates the long-term value of metal, you’ll start closing a lot more deals.

We’ve also found it helpful to create an internal company sales motto to reinforce this mindset:

“You don’t lose the sale because your price is too high. You lose the sale because the perceived value of your product or service is too low.”

This keeps our estimating team from slipping into price wars, motivates the sales team to lead with value, and inspires the install crew to deliver a positive customer experience — all without adding to production costs.

Step 2: Add Perceived Value with Value Multipliers

A Value Multiplier is anything that raises the perceived value of your product or service in your customer’s mind — allowing you to charge a premium price. Here are four examples we use at DuraCraft:

1. Metal/Shingle Comparison Chart. This visual tool shows customers that choosing shingles actually costs more long-term. Seeing the numbers side by side makes a powerful impression.

2. Triple-Stack Warranty. Our warranty package helps customers see our estimate as the safer, more valuable choice.

3. Needs Assessment Chart. Before sending an estimate, we ask customers a few key questions about what matters most to them in a roofing contractor. People love feeling heard and understood — it shows we’re not just sending a cookie-cutter quote.

4. Exceptional Customer Service. Serving clients well and solving their specific problems is one of the most powerful — and underused — value multipliers available.

There are many more value multipliers you can use in your business. The best part? Most of them cost you almost nothing — yet they allow you to charge premium prices.

Step 3: Give Your Customers a Plan to Solve Their Problem

Customers have problems they can’t solve alone — and your product or service can solve those problems for them. But even the best solutions fall short when customers are confused about the next steps. That’s why it’s critical to give them a clear plan.

Real-World Examples:

1. 5-Step Road Map. Homeowners are often unsure about how to get a project started. We created a simple 5-step road map: (1) Budget Meeting, (2) Choose a Contractor, (3) Design Meeting, (4) Schedule Project, (5) Installation. Customers always know exactly where they are and what comes next.

2. Instant Estimating System. General contractors often waste time gathering multiple subcontractor quotes. We built a fast estimate system that lets builders price out a metal roof in about 5 minutes — no waiting a day for a callback.

3. Material Ordering System. Contractors lose time when they order the wrong amount of materials and have to make last-minute trips for a single piece of trim. Our metal supplier uses satellite roof reports and a material ordering checklist to make takeoffs easy and virtually eliminate back-orders.

Remember: You don’t lose the sale because your price is too high. You lose the sale because the perceived value of your service is too low.  

10-Point Value Multiplier Self-Assessment Checklist

Score yourself honestly. Yes = +50 points.    No = −50 points.

1. We have a clear mission or vision statement that keeps our whole team united and on the same page.  Yes / No

2. We have a consistent sales process and/or sales motto that motivates everyone to use our value multipliers consistently.  Yes / No

3. We use solid numbers or facts in a visual chart to prove that our product or service is better than the competition.  Yes / No

4. We use a customer needs assessment to determine exactly what each customer wants and how we can solve their unique problems.  Yes / No

5. We know what’s important to every customer and we strive to deliver exactly what they want.  Yes / No

6. We have a warranty that makes our product or service a safer choice.  Yes / No

7. We answer the phone when it rings — or at least return calls quickly.  Yes / No

8. We have good customer service and respond quickly when a customer needs something or has a problem.  Yes / No

9. We have a 3–5 step plan that shows new customers where they are in the process so they always know what comes next.  Yes / No

10. We have an efficient estimating and ordering system that makes it easy to do business with us.  Yes / No

How to use your score:

1. Answer each question honestly with a Yes or No.

2. Calculate your score. (Yes = +50 points, No = −50 points)

3. Take action. Implement one new value multiplier per month.

4. Improve your results. Your bottom line will reflect how much
    value you add for your customers.