Good, Fast, Cheap
The «good, fast, cheap» close uses the value triangle: Good, Fast, Cheap; you pick two. You position yourself as «good and fast» —not the cheapest— and reframe the price objection: the most expensive option isn't you, it's choosing fast and cheap, regretting it, and ending up working with you anyway, late and out of pocket. If they start with you, they save the time and money they'd waste not getting what they actually want the first time, done right.
The script
«Totally get it. Have you ever heard of the value triangle?»
«Well, it's simple. Good, Fast, Cheap. You get to pick 2. I'm the good and fast guy. But I'm still only the second most expensive. Want to know the most expensive option?»
«The most expensive option is using the fast and cheap guy. Regretting it. Then ending up working with me anyway —a day late and a dollar short.»
«If you start with me, you save time and money you would otherwise waste not getting what you actually want the first time, done right.»
Why it works
The good/fast/cheap triangle is a familiar frame: you can't have all three. By choosing «good and fast», your price stops being «expensive» and becomes «the cost of not sacrificing quality or time». Then you flip the objection: the «cheap» path (fast and cheap) is the one that ends up costing more —money lost on a solution that doesn't hold up, plus time and pain redoing it with someone who does deliver. So the client sees that «starting with you» isn't a luxury; it's the option that avoids the real cost of the shortcut.
How to use it well
Use it when the objection is price and there's a cheaper alternative (or «doing it themselves») the client is considering. It only works if your offer is genuinely «good and fast» versus that alternative; if you don't deliver better results or aren't faster, the frame falls apart. Don't name the competitor; talk about «the fast and cheap guy» or «the cheap option». Tone should be confident and relaxed: you're explaining a frame, not defending yourself. If they've had the experience of choosing cheap and regretting it, the close lands well.
Next steps
If you want to work on this and other closes with your sales team, we can review your process in a no-obligation call. At Miranda's Consulting we support teams in the demo and closing phase.
Frequently asked questions
- What if I'm not objectively «faster» than the alternative?
- Adapt the triangle to what you do offer: e.g. «good and lower risk» or «good and with support». The core is «pick two» and that the «cheap» option has a hidden cost (time, rework, stress). If you're not faster, don't claim you're the «fast» one; use the two corners that fit your value proposition.
- Doesn't saying «I'm the good and fast guy» sound arrogant?
- It depends on tone. If you say it matter-of-factly as a description of where you sit («in this triangle, I'm good and fast»), it sounds like clarity. If it sounds like «the others are bad», it can rub people the wrong way. Focus on the frame and on the real cost of the «fast and cheap» option, not on badmouthing anyone.
- Does it work in services where «fast» isn't clear?
- Yes. You can use other pairs: «good and with guarantee», «good and lower risk», «good and done right the first time». The idea is that «cheap» usually means sacrificing something (quality, time, support), and that sacrifice has a cost that often ends in rework or in ending up with someone like you anyway.