When someone DMs your clinic “how much?”, give the price or an honest range, say what it depends on, ask one question back and offer one next step. When they push back on the price, find out what is behind the objection before you answer it. Never use a deadline or a discount to close.
This guide covers the price objections clinics hear most, what to say to each one, and the UK rules on prices and prescription-only treatments. For the everyday inbox routine, see turning Instagram DMs into bookings.
If you find it awkward talking about price
If you feel awkward selling to your own audience, you are in good company. Most clinic owners trained in treatments and picked up selling along the way. A price question still means someone is picturing themselves booking. Your job is to answer honestly and help them decide, in their own time.
What UK rules say about prices in clinic messages
Before the objections, here are the rules. They come from the ASA, which regulates advertising in the UK, and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
- Give the full price. The ASA says prices should include all non-optional charges, like booking fees or deposits.
- Explain prices that depend on a consultation. The ASA says that if the final cost depends on the outcome of a consultation, you should be upfront about that and explain how it will be calculated.
- No hidden extras. The CMA’s price transparency guidance says the total price should normally include any unavoidable charges. It says hiding fees until later in the purchase process is illegal.
- No time pressure. The ASA says cosmetic promotions should avoid short response times and phrases like “Hurry, offer ends at midnight”.
- Care with discounts and credit. The ASA says discounts on packages, and offers of credit, must not encourage people to have unnecessary or unwanted treatment.
- No Botox in your marketing. Botox is a prescription-only medicine and cannot be advertised to the public. The ASA says posts on your own social media count as ads, and that price promotions for Botox are not allowed.
The ASA’s guidance is written for advertising. How far it reaches into a one-to-one reply to a question someone asked you is not spelled out on the pages we read. Treating your DMs to the same standard is the cautious approach.
This section is general information, not legal advice. Check the current ASA and CMA guidance, linked below, or ask the CAP Copy Advice team about your own wording.
How to reply to “how much?” in your DMs
Three situations cover most price questions. The replies below are example wordings written for this guide, not real client messages. Change them so they sound like you.
The treatment has a set price. Give it, then ask one question.
A [treatment] is £[price] and takes about [time]. Have you had one before?
The price depends on an assessment. Give an honest range and say how the final price is worked out. Mention any consultation fee or deposit in the same message.
It depends on how many sessions your skin needs, which we work out at a consultation. Most courses come to between £[x] and £[y]. The consultation is £[z]. Would you like me to find you a time?
It is a prescription-only treatment, such as Botox. Talk about the consultation rather than the product. The ASA says clinics can promote a consultation for wrinkles.
For lines and wrinkles we start with a consultation, where we look at the options and whether they suit you. The consultation is £[z]. Would you like a time this week or next?
Each reply ends with one question. The question keeps the conversation going after the price.
The price objections you will hear, and what to say
An objection is usually a concern about something other than the number. Ask before you answer. “Is it the price itself, or are you weighing up whether it’s worth it?” tells you which reply they need.
| What they say | What is often behind it | What to say | What not to say |
|---|---|---|---|
| ”That’s more than I expected” | They don’t know what is included, or saw a lower price elsewhere | What the price covers: the consultation, who treats them, aftercare, follow-up | ”I can do 20% off if you book today" |
| "I’ll think about it” | Nerves, or they need to check money, diary or partner | ”Of course. Is there anything I can answer that would help?” Then agree when you’ll check in | ”This price is only available until Friday" |
| "I’ve seen it cheaper elsewhere” | Comparing clinics on price alone | What your price includes, and that you’re happy for them to compare | Anything about the other clinic |
| ”I can’t afford it right now” | Budget or timing, often payday | Respect it, offer to message nearer the time, or suggest a smaller starting treatment if you have one | Finance they did not ask about |
| ”Will it definitely work?” | Worry about wasting money | What results are typical, and that the consultation decides whether it suits them | ”Guaranteed results" |
| "Is it safe?” | Fear of something going wrong | Who will treat them, their training, and that risks are covered at the consultation | ”It’s completely safe” or “it’s easy” |
The ASA says ads should not describe cosmetic interventions as “safe” or “easy”, because they all carry some level of risk. It also says “guarantee” should not be used to suggest an outcome is guaranteed.
”It’s more than I expected”: talk about value
Explain what they are paying for before you think about the price. Most people comparing prices are comparing a number on a menu. They cannot see the consultation, the practitioner’s training, the aftercare or the review appointment unless you tell them.
If you have a genuine smaller option, such as one session instead of a course, offer it. Lowering the price to close the conversation tells them the first price was not real.
”I’ll think about it”: agree the follow-up
Let them think. Ask if there is anything you can answer now, then say when you will check in, and do it. Our guide to following up enquiries that have gone cold has the timings and example messages, and the UK consent rules for follow-up messages.
Ethical sales in the consultation
The same objections come up again in the consultation room, face to face. Ethical sales there means the client has what they need to decide, and the time to decide it.
- Informed consent includes the price. Give the full cost, including any course, top-ups and aftercare, before they agree to anything.
- Time to decide. The ASA says people should not be rushed into cosmetic treatment and should have plenty of time to consider their options.
- No promises about results. Describe what is typical, and be honest about what the treatment cannot do.
- No playing on insecurities. The ASA says not to suggest people are not good enough as they are.
If they leave without booking, let them go kindly. The door stays open, and the follow-up guide linked above covers what to send next.
When handling objections is a job in itself
Handling objections is the third of four steps our Setter runs for clinics: reach out, warm up, handle objections, book. Real people do it inside your clinic’s own Instagram account, with no bots and no automation. Our terms commit us to sending only messages you have approved in tone and content.
The Setter starts 50 new conversations every weekday, nurtures the replies, answers their concerns, and books qualified appointments into your diary. It costs £697 a month, with a three-month minimum. For how the outreach side works, see how to get more clients from Instagram for your aesthetics clinic.
Sources
- Botox and non-surgical cosmetic interventions ASA and CAP. Botox, consultations for wrinkles, prices and non-optional charges, time pressure. Read 15 October 2026.
- Cosmetic interventions: advertising guidance ASA and CAP. Full guidance: prices, "safe" and "easy", guarantees, sales promotions, credit. Read 15 October 2026.
- Cosmetic interventions: social responsibility ASA and CAP. Time-limited offers and pressure to decide.
- Price transparency (CMA209): summary Competition and Markets Authority, under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Updated 7 January 2026.
- Electronic mail marketing ICO, guide to PECR. Applies to follow-up messages, including social media direct messages.
About the author
Kat Martyn, Founder. Kat Martyn spent fifteen years in sales and marketing before retraining in skin at 33. She opened her own aesthetics clinic in 2019 and has since mentored more than 300 clinic owners. She founded Booked For You, the Instagram DM appointment-setting service for UK clinics.
Quick answers
How do I handle price objections from aesthetic clinic clients?
Find out what is behind the objection before you answer it. "Too expensive" can mean they are comparing clinics, do not know what is included, or need to wait for payday. Explain what the price covers, offer a smaller starting option if you have one, and give them time to decide. Do not use a deadline or a discount to close.
Should I put prices in my Instagram DMs?
Yes, if the treatment has a set price. Give it straight, then ask one question back. If the price depends on an assessment, give an honest range and say how the final price is worked out. The ASA says to be upfront when the final cost depends on a consultation and to explain how it will be calculated.
How should I reply when someone DMs "how much is Botox?"
Botox is a prescription-only medicine and cannot be advertised to the public. The ASA says posts on your own social media count as ads and that clinics can promote a consultation for wrinkles. The cautious reply talks about the consultation and its price, without naming the product.
What do I say when a client says "I'll think about it"?
Say of course, ask whether there is anything you can answer that would help them decide, and agree when you will check in. Then follow up two to three days later, kindly and without pressure.
Can I offer a discount to close a consultation?
The ASA says cosmetic promotions must not use time pressure to encourage quick decisions, and that discounts on packages need particular care so they do not encourage unnecessary treatment. A same-day discount offered to close a hesitant client works against both.
Do I have to include deposits or consultation fees in the price I quote?
The ASA says prices should include all non-optional charges, like booking fees or deposits. The CMA's price transparency guidance says the total price should normally include any unavoidable charges, and that hiding fees until later in the purchase is illegal.
What is ethical sales in an aesthetic consultation?
Giving honest information about price, results and risk, letting the client decide in their own time, and never playing on their insecurities. The ASA says people should not be rushed into cosmetic treatment and should not be told a treatment is "safe" or "easy".