How to Respond to “Can We Pay Only for Results?”: 3 Answers
“Can we pay only for results?”
The buyer wants to shift all the risk onto you. Three responses to find out what they fear, offer shared risk, and say no without closing the door.
Practice this objectionWhy buyers say it
Someone asking to pay only for results is saying two things: they don't trust you yet, and they'd like a way to risk nothing. For anyone who built a website service or an app, the proposal is a trap: the result depends on things you don't control, from the buyer's market to how much they'll actually use the thing, and you end up working for free and hoping. A flat no isn't the answer either. The request comes from a legitimate fear, and the best response acknowledges it, asks how they would measure the result, and proposes a form of shared risk you can sustain: a short period, a reduced starting price, an easy exit.
What it often means
- They don't believe yet that your product will work for them
- Past experiences with vendors who got paid and were never seen again
- A way to negotiate on price without saying so
Three answers that work
I get why you're asking: you don't want to pay for something you haven't seen work yet. One question: how would we measure the result? If we can define it in one line, we can talk about a first month at [reduced price] tied to that number. If it can't be measured, better to say so now.
Why it works: You acknowledge the fear and turn it into a technical question. Often the buyer realizes on their own that the result also depends on them, and the request shrinks.
I'd gladly do it if the result depended only on me, but it also depends on how much your staff uses the system, and I don't control that. Here's the opposite offer: a low flat price for the first month, no commitment, and if it's not useful you stop. That way we split the risk.
Why it works: You explain honestly why you can't accept and offer a concrete alternative right away. The buyer sees you're not backing off, you're looking for balance.
Think about what would happen if I said yes. I'd be working without knowing if I'll get paid, so I'd give you less time than you deserve. I'd rather have a deal where I have every reason to get you off to a great start. What would give you peace of mind, other than paying on results?
Why it works: You show the practical consequences of their proposal for them, not for you. The closing question looks for the real need behind the request, which is almost never literally “pay zero.”
Avoid this one
Sure, let's do that, you pay me once it's working.
Why not: Without written criteria, deadlines, and amounts, “once it's working” never arrives. You work for free, you're left bitter, and the buyer doesn't respect you more for it.
Example dialogue
BuyerI'll have you build the site, but I only pay when it brings in customers.
YouI understand why. How do we count the customers it brings? Form submissions, phone calls, quote requests?
BuyerPhone calls, I'd say.
YouPhone calls also depend on whether you pick up and how the season goes, and I don't control that. Here's my offer: a deposit of [amount] at kickoff and the balance when the site is live and calls are tracked.
BuyerAnd if nobody calls?
YouThen we look at the data together and figure out whether it's the site or something else. I won't leave you with a dead site: the first month of changes is included.
Practice this objection
A simulated buyer says it to you out loud (or in writing), you answer, and you get a score plus the model answer. Free, no account, 2 minutes.
FAQ
When does it make sense to accept pay-for-results?
When you genuinely control most of the factors that produce the result, when the result is measurable in a clear and shared way, and when you can afford to work without getting paid if it goes badly. If even one of those three conditions is missing, go with a low flat price, a trial period, and an easy exit.
How do I propose shared risk without working for free?
Split the payment in two: a fixed part that covers the work you'll certainly do, and a part tied to a concrete number you measure together. Or offer a short first period at a reduced price with no commitment. Either way, write the criteria, amounts, and dates into an agreement you both sign.
Should I walk away if they insist on results-only?
If after you've offered honest alternatives they still insist on zero risk for themselves, probably yes. A buyer who won't put anything of their own in tends not to use the product and not to cooperate, so the result doesn't come anyway. Close politely and leave the door open: sometimes they come back with a different idea.