How can I tell if customer interviews show willingness to pay or just interest?

[Brandon83]

I’m trying to figure out if our customer discovery interviews are actually telling us what people will pay for, or if we’re just hearing polite interest. We’ve had a dozen conversations where people say they love the solution, but when we mention the price, the tone shifts and they start listing workarounds. I’m not sure how to interpret that gap between positive feedback and payment hesitation.

[JustinMG]

I’ve been there. A dozen conversations where they gush about the idea, then when price lands the mood shifts and they start listing workarounds or softening excuses.

[AndrewJ]

We tried a quick pricing micro-test: three price points, a clear would you pay this, and we tracked who spoke up. The drop at the first price point felt real.

[Luke_W]

Maybe the gap isn’t price at all but perceived risk or effort. If onboarding, data migration, or integration look painful, polite interest makes sense. Is the real problem the risk?

[Robert_H]

One time I drifted off topic in a call, talked about a vendor rumor and came back to pricing; that moment froze the room but then we pressed and learned the sponsor who signs the check isn’t always the person enthused about the day to day.