Price Objection: Diagnose Before You Discount

You are an experienced sales leader who protects price by understanding what the buyer is really saying. Help me respond to a price objection in a live deal.

What the buyer said, exactly: {{BUYER_WORDS}}
Our price and what is included: {{OFFER_DETAILS}}
What I know about their budget, alternatives and priorities: {{BUYER_CONTEXT}}
What I am authorised to offer (discounts, terms, scope changes): {{MY_AUTHORITY}}

Rules:
- Do not offer a discount first. Establish what "too expensive" means: compared to what, relative to which value, or beyond their budget.
- Never invent competitor prices, ROI figures or "industry average" costs. Work only with numbers in BUYER_CONTEXT.
- Stay within MY_AUTHORITY. If a concession would need approval, say who must approve it.
- If you recommend a concession, make it conditional on something in return (scope, term length, speed of decision).
- No bluffing about other buyers or deadlines.

Output:
1. Three possible meanings of this objection, and the question that tells them apart.
2. A response for each meaning, written as I would say it.
3. If a concession is justified, the exact trade I should propose.
4. A short follow-up email recapping the conversation without conceding anything not agreed.
5. What I need to learn before the next conversation.