"How much does it cost" without details is a question that can't be answered honestly. You can't stay silent, and guessing a number isn't an option either. The effective approach is to provide a price range, ask one clarifying question, and then give a precise price. Even better, prevent this question from coming up empty.
Why does this question lead to a dead end?
Services usually vary in price: volume, urgency, materials, and the specialist. The client doesn't know this and asks the best way they can. The scenario is always the same: you reply "it depends," they think you're avoiding the question, and they close the chat.
Both sides lose. If you mention a minimum, the person will come expecting that minimum. If you mention a maximum, they'll leave to compare.
What to respond right now?
Provide a price range in the first message. "From 200 to 400, depending on hair length." The person gets a reference and doesn't feel like you're dodging.
Ask exactly one clarifying question. Not a list of five, but that one question without which you can't provide a price.
State the exact price and immediately suggest a next step. "350. I have an opening on Wednesday at 5 PM, should I book it?"
The rule is simple: each of your messages should contain either a number or a question. A message without either is a lost opportunity.
What responses should be avoided?
"It depends on many factors." True, but for the client, it feels like a refusal to answer.
"Please specify what you need." This shifts the work onto someone who doesn't understand your service.
"Prices are on the website." The person is already in the chat; sending them back means losing them.
A price list. Twenty items instead of answering their question.
Just the price, without a next step. The dialogue hits a dead end, and the client has to continue it.
How to eliminate this question altogether?
Everything above addresses the symptom. The root cause is that the person enters the chat without providing any information about themselves, and the only thing they can ask is the price.
If there's a short path of two or three questions between clicking and chatting, the client arrives with the service, volume, and deadline already in mind. Then the first message looks like "I want coloring on Wednesday after 5 PM, hair to the shoulders." Such a message gets an exact price immediately, without rounds of clarification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I mention the price in the first message?
Yes, at least a range. Avoiding the answer comes off as trying to lure them in first and then state a price, which decreases trust. A range with an explanation of what affects the price works better than guessing a specific number or staying silent.
What to do if the client says "it's too expensive"?
Don't lower the price immediately; ask what they're comparing it to. Often, it turns out they're comparing it to another service or a different volume. If the comparison is fair, offer a cheaper option instead of a discount: discounts devalue the next purchase.
Should prices be published openly?
A range should be shown. It filters out those who are clearly out of budget and saves time for both parties. The exact price for complex services is still provided after clarifications, and that's normal.
How to respond faster if there are many questions?
Prepare quick replies in WhatsApp Business for recurring cases. However, a template doesn't replace a clarifying question: a template without a question just speeds up the path to a dead end.