Guide
They replied "how much does it cost?": what to send back
A price question is a buying signal, but it is rarely a request for a number alone. Answer it in a way that keeps the conversation going.
Short answer
Treat it as interest, not as a trap. Give a straight answer or a clear range, say what drives it, and ask one question or offer one small next step. Do not ignore it, and do not turn it into a ten-email sequence. If the reply is instead a no or a request to stop, stop [1].
What it usually means
Someone who asks about cost has read enough to picture using it. They may be checking whether it is affordable, comparing you with something they already have, or trying to end the conversation with a number that sounds too high. The wording tells you which: "how much?" on its own is curiosity, "how much is it per month for a team of four?" is a buyer, and "what does this cost, we have no budget" is a polite no.
Three replies you can send
If you have a simple price
Hi Maria,
Fair question. It is a flat monthly fee per practice, not per patient. For a practice your size I can put the exact figure in a short outline, with what is and is not included. Shall I send it?
Sam
If the price depends on their size
Hi Maria,
It depends mainly on how many appointments you book a week, so I would rather not guess. For a practice like yours it would normally be one of two plans, and I can write both down with the figures beside them. Shall I send that?
Sam
If you are not sure they are a fit yet
Hi Maria,
Happy to give you a straight answer, but I want to be sure I am not wasting your time. Two quick questions: how many late cancellations do you get in a typical week, and who deals with them? With that I can tell you whether it is worth your while and what it would cost.
Sam
What not to do
- Do not answer "it depends" and stop. Say what it depends on and give the usual range.
- Do not send a pricing page link and nothing else. Answer in the email.
- Do not put a price in your first email and then dodge it in the second. Keep the first email to the outline offer; this is the point where the number belongs.
- Do not ask for a call before giving any number. If they wanted a call they would have asked for one.
- Do not discount unprompted. It teaches them the first price was not real.
When to stop
If they answer your price with a no, thank them once and stop. If they ask you to stop, stop the whole sequence and treat it as an objection: for direct marketing the right to object is absolute [2], and you should act on an opt-out promptly [3]. If they reply with the price and then go quiet, one short follow-up a week later is reasonable; a third is not.
How Honest Intros handles it
The reply reader recognises wording such as "how much" and "what pricing" as interest, so the reply lands in the inbox marked as interested. For interested replies the inbox drafts the 3-point outline the first email offered, built from your company profile. It is a draft: you read it, change it and send it. Nothing is sent for you, and the number to quote is yours to put in. A "no thanks" is filed as a decline and the follow-ups stop.
Questions
Should I put my price in the first cold email?
Usually not. A first email that offers a short outline gets a reply; the price belongs in the answer to someone who asked. Honest Intros first emails contain no prices.
What if they ask the price and I do not have a fixed one?
Give a range and say what moves it. A range with a reason reads as honest; a refusal to give a number reads as evasive.
Is a reply asking about price consent to be emailed?
It shows interest in this conversation, and you can answer it. It does not mean you can add them to a regular newsletter. If they later ask you to stop, stop.
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