No, I don’t want to talk to you on the phone to get a price!
How much friction is hiding in your inquiry process? Are you forcing prospects to book a call before sharing pricing info? Is requiring a phone number or too many form fields pushing potential clients away before you even get a chance to talk? In this episode I share real stories and research about where we lose people by making it too hard to start a conversation, and how simple changes can bring in more inquiries from couples who are ready to connect.
Listen to this new 11-minute episode for practical questions you can ask yourself, and easy steps to make your contact process easier and win more clients.
If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at [email protected] or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.com
Please be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review (thanks, it really does make a difference). If you want to get notifications of new episodes and upcoming workshops and webinars, you can sign up at www.ConnectWithAlanBerg.com
View the full transcript on Alan’s site: https://alanberg.com/blog/
Summary
In this episode, I share my personal journey with a tech company I discovered at a trade show and how their approach to sharing pricing details made me think about customer friction in the wedding industry and beyond. I was interested in their innovative app for capturing contacts but was quickly frustrated by their process. Their website’s pricing tab simply led me to a contact form that required me to schedule a call instead of giving me even a basic idea of their costs. When I reluctantly filled out the form, I was met with persistent requests for a phone meeting. I made it clear I only needed a ballpark price before deciding to talk further, but they initially insisted on a call. Only after I pushed back did I finally get a price, which turned out to be far more than I expected.
This kind of unnecessary friction, where a business insists on too much information or awkward communication methods, is a surefire way to lose prospects. I discuss how requiring a phone number or even a full mailing address just to ask a question is especially off-putting to Gen Y and Gen Z couples who avoid phone calls. I walk through real examples and statistics that show the more fields your contact form requires, the fewer inquiries you will receive. I urge you to step into the shoes of your potential customers and experience your inquiry process from their perspective. Making it quick and easy to reach you with minimal required information and being transparent about pricing up front can make all the difference. By removing these barriers and being flexible with communication preferences, you will attract more qualified leads and set the tone for a better client relationship.
No, I don’t want to talk to you on the phone to get a price. Listen to this episode, see where I’m going. Hey, it’s Allen Berg. Welcome back to another episode of the Wedding Business Solutions Podcast. So this happened to me the other day. I’m on LinkedIn and I saw a video and it was somebody at a trade show talking about their product to somebody else at the trade show. Uh, this particular product was something where you could scan someone’s badge. So at any trade show where you are, whether you’re an exhibitor or whether you’re just somebody attending the show, you could scan their badge with this app and then it would, I guess using AI, go find all their contact information and put it, gather it for you.
I said, well, that’s pretty cool. You know, I do a bunch of shows each year. Not all of them have lead capture devices and things like that. And that would be pretty cool. So I click through, go to their website, and they had a pricing tab. And I went to the pricing tab. It was a contact form. And it wasn’t just a contact form to get pricing.
It was a contact form to schedule a meeting. So I didn’t. I didn’t. I did give them information. I guess it was I gave them some information because I was going to— I thought it was going to give me pricing. And instead, it was just to schedule a call. So then I get a text message and I get an email from them, uh, pretty quickly. And, uh, they want to schedule a meeting.
That was, that was it. They want to schedule a call. That’s what it was. And I wrote back and I said, um, I don’t know enough about this. I, I did see the video. I have an idea how it works. I only do about a handful of shows each year. I need an idea of price before I would even think about scheduling a call.
And if that doesn’t work, that’s fine. And then I got an email back, I think it was the next day, you know, giving me what the price was, or at least the starting price or something, which was way higher than I thought it was going to be. And listen, I don’t mind investing in my business, but there’s gotta be an ROI for me. And many thousands of dollars for that particular thing doesn’t work for my business. Probably works for a lot of other businesses. And if you do much bigger trade shows than the one that I do, see more people, I could see the value for someone, not the value for me. But the big thing was the friction because my first thought was just forget it, I’m going away. Actually, I did.
I did. I said, I’m just, that’s it. I’m not gonna be interested in this. And that was before they had texted and emailed me. Then they texted and emailed and asking the same thing, pushing for that phone call. So it got me thinking, how many of you are doing the same thing? How many of you are doing exactly that, creating that friction and chasing away potential customers? Because, you know, had they not emailed me afterwards, you know, when I did say that I’m not going to get on the call and then give me an idea of price, I was gone anyway. Now, I didn’t know what the price was, so I, I was giving up not because of the price, because I didn’t know it yet. I was giving up because of the friction.
And I saw this again, actually just yesterday, another site where the phone field was a required field on the contact form. I can’t get this in your heads enough with Gen Y and Gen Z. They not only don’t want to talk on the phone, many of them have telephobia, like they’re afraid of talking on the phone. They’ve communicated their whole lives without speaking on the phone. They’ve used them as communication devices. If you have the phone field as required, you are guaranteed that you are losing inquiries. Some people just do not fill out the form at all because that field is there. This is not me telling you this.
This is statistically proven. Just go use your AI and look up, look it up. Go use your Google and, and look it up. You’re going to find exactly that, right? Because I’ve done that research. This is not a wedding industry thing. This is just people, right? Just happened to me, not, you know, as a wedding vendor. It happened to me as a consumer, right? So that’s the first thing—phone field required. You’re losing that.
If you’re requiring people to reach out to you to get an idea of price, you are also losing out on business because you’ve created that friction. Now, sometimes you’re okay with that if you’re filling your calendar with the kind of people you want to do business with. What do they say? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? That’s fine. But I see this kind of friction all the time. I’m not sure if I mentioned this on the podcast yet, but a friend of mine sent me a link to a venue’s contact form. A very nice venue, actually. I’ve actually been there for an event, and it had 14 fields. 14 fields, actually 15, because one of them, they have multiple rooms or multiple locations, so you had to choose that as well.
And every one of them was required. And a few of them were the street address. That’s right. The street address, the city, the state, the zip code. 4 fields required that you give them that in order to make an inquiry for your event. I can’t even imagine how much money they’re losing because of that friction. In 2026, or if you listen to this later, ’27 or ’28, whatever, it doesn’t matter. Right now, asking someone for their mailing address when they’re just trying to make an inquiry, you are losing business.
Put yourself in their shoes. You’re the consumer. You want to get information from the HVAC company. You want to get pricing information for a car or something, and you’re required to give them your name, your email, your phone number, your mailing address, and other information, right? You’ll find somebody else. You will find somebody else because these days it is just way too easy to find somebody else. And the crazy part is, if they’re looking at your contact form, you’ve already done the hard part. You’ve gotten them to your ad, your website, your social, whatever it is. You’ve gotten them there and gotten them interested.
So don’t lose them at that point. Don’t lose them at the point where they want to make an inquiry and you’ve created so much friction at that point that you lose someone that’s already gotten that path because 99% of the people that you’re trying to reach never get it that far. They never get to your contact form. And these people did, right? That, that person yesterday, for me, they got me to their contact form, except I would’ve put in my contact information so that they could email me pricing. But the fact that they, they wanted me to schedule a meeting, a phone call, in order to get pricing, that was too much friction for me. That was too much. You know, they did answer my email, which is fine. I also had somebody else recently—I think I spoke about this—that was pushing me hard for the call, pushing hard for the call.
And I said, I don’t have time for that right now. I am traveling. I’m preparing for presentations. I don’t have time for a call. We can communicate via email, right? That’s fine. Right now, it almost got to the point where I was going to write back, if email doesn’t work for you, then I’m not interested in doing business with you. I didn’t say that. Right? They might have gotten that from my tone in writing back, although I wasn’t nasty.
I just said, I can’t get on a phone call right now. And they must have asked like 4 different times. And guess what? I’ve never done business with them. I’ve never done business with them because they’re not willing to adapt to me as a consumer. And I wasn’t asking for much. We were already emailing. All I wanted to do was continue emailing and having the conversation, right? I wasn’t even changing the format. They were trying to change the format.
So this, if you can’t tell, I’m probably up on my soapbox a little taller here today. It really, really frustrated me that this company gets my attention on LinkedIn, gets me interested in finding out more, couldn’t give me an idea of price. And that is the key. I didn’t need an exact price. Can you give me an idea? What does this cost? Does this cost $20, $200, $2,000, $20,000, $200,000? Can you give me an idea? Right. Can you give me a range? Can you say it goes from here to here depending upon—and if I already told them I only do a handful of shows a year, could you say it runs between here and here? Yeah, they could, but they didn’t. And if that range worked for me, we’ll continue the conversation. And if it doesn’t, we’ll find out right now.
And that’s exactly what you need to be doing, is give them an idea of price. We all value transparency, but survey after survey says that Gen Y and Gen Z values that very highly. I’m not going to say they value it more than Gen X or baby boomers. I don’t know. I don’t know that. But I know that they value it highly, and I know that people in general do. The lack of transparency will chase them to someone else, because unless you have a monopoly, which nobody does, you’re going to chase them to somebody else, somebody who, who might even pay more. This was part of the story I told about my son’s wedding, where the rental company wouldn’t get on the phone with my daughter-in-law.
She actually wanted to talk on the phone, and they said no. There’s a catalog on our website. Just, you know, tell us what you want, we’ll make you a proposal. So they went to a different company that charged more, right? They chased them to someone who charged more when they had them the opportunity to just talk to her on the phone, right? She didn’t want to email, just talk to her on the phone. And that’s what most of you listening are going—not most, not all of you—most of you are going, oh my gosh, like, of course I want to get them on the phone. Some of you are like, I don’t like to talk on the phone either. Cool. Email them, text them, DM them, WhatsApp them, do something else with them.
Meet them where they are. Facebook message, Instagram Messenger, TikTok Messenger, whatever. Meet them where they are, but don’t add friction where it’s not necessary, right? Go right now, right now. Go to your own contact form. Try to fill it out. See how long it takes you. If it takes you more than about a minute, that’s too long. Do it on a phone.
Is the phone field required? If it is, make it not required today. Or do like I do, like Mark Chapman has told me here on the podcast. Say, put your phone number if you prefer texting, and then you can, you can text with them. But reduce the friction, reduce the number of fields on that form, right? That’s again statistically. Don’t take my word for it. Go Google it, AI it, whatever, right? The number of fields on the form is in direct proportion to the number of people that will fill it out. The more fields, the less people fill it out. The less fields, the more people will fill it out.
It’s not what you need to know ever. It’s not what you need to know for your convenience. It’s what you need to know to start the conversation, and that’s usually less fields than you have already. So I’m going to thank that company for creating this friction for me so that I can talk to you about it. But I really want you to have some self-awareness here and take a strong look at what you’re doing now and where are you creating friction for other people. Or if it’s hard for you to do that on your own site, get a buddy. You do it to their website. Let them do it to your website.
Try to fill out each other’s contact forms. How long does it take? Is it easy to do on a phone? Is the field—how many fields are required? Right? All those type of things. And you reduce some of that friction. You will get more inquiries. People that already got to that form are the last people you want to be chasing away at that point. Thanks for listening.
I’m Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you’d like to suggest other topics for “The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast” please let me know. My email is [email protected] or you can text, use the short form on this page, or call +1.732.422.6362, international 001 732 422 6362. I look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks.
Listen to this and all episodes on Apple Podcast, YouTube or your favorite app/site:
- Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/weddingbusinesssolutions
- YouTube: www.WeddingBusinessSolutionsPodcast.tv
- Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sGsuB8
- Stitcher: http://bit.ly/wbsstitcher
- Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/wbsgoogle
- iHeart Radio: https://ihr.fm/31C9Mic
- Pandora: http://bit.ly/wbspandora
©2026 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com
Question
Why do required phone fields on contact forms drive people away?
Tags:
#leadgeneration #sales #genz #ux
Answer
If you force people to enter their phone number, many just won’t bother. Gen Y and Gen Z especially avoid phone calls, sometimes even feeling anxious about them. You’ll instantly lose inquiries from people who don’t want to talk on the phone.
Takeaway: Requiring a phone number chases away potential clients.
Question
How does friction in your contact form cost you business?
Tags:
#leadgeneration #sales #conversion #ux
Answer
Every extra required field or hoop you add makes people hesitate. The more effort it takes to contact you, the more likely they’ll move on to someone else—especially when there are easier options at their fingertips.
Takeaway: Less friction means more inquiries.
Question
Is it necessary to talk on the phone just to get a price?
Tags:
#pricing #sales #customerexperience
Answer
No, it isn’t. If you force a phone call just to reveal pricing, most people will leave. Give them a price range or starting point so they know if you’re even in their ballpark. That saves everyone’s time.
Takeaway: Transparency earns trust before a sales call does.
Question
What’s the risk of requiring too many fields on an inquiry form?
Tags:
#leadgeneration #ux #conversion
Answer
If your contact form asks for every little detail—like full mailing address—people will bail. You only need the bare minimum to start a conversation. Fewer fields means more responses.
Takeaway: The more fields on your form, the fewer inquiries you’ll get.
Question
How important is pricing transparency to younger buyers?
Tags:
#pricing #genz #sales
Answer
Gen Y and Gen Z expect transparency. If you hide your pricing or make it hard to find, they’ll just go with someone else who’s upfront. They value honesty and want to know if your service is even realistic for them.
Takeaway: Price transparency wins over younger clients.
Question
Do people actually have a fear of talking on the phone?
Tags:
#sales #genz #communication
Answer
Yes, it’s common. Many people—especially Gen Y and Gen Z—are anxious about phone calls. They prefer texting, email, or other digital messaging. Forcing phone calls cuts you off from this huge group.
Takeaway: Meet clients where they’re comfortable communicating.
Question
What happens if you ignore people’s communication preferences?
Tags:
#customerexperience #sales #retention
Answer
If you insist on your way—like demanding phone calls—they’ll leave. I’ve personally walked away from companies who wouldn’t adapt. It’s not about you; it’s about making it easy for them.
Takeaway: Adapt to your client’s preferred way to communicate.
Question
Does responding to pricing inquiries by email help or hurt your business?
Tags:
#sales #email #leadgeneration
Answer
Answering pricing questions by email removes friction. If you insist on phone calls, you’ll lose people who just want a quick answer. Meeting them on their terms keeps the conversation going.
Takeaway: Make it easy for clients to get basic info.
Question
What’s a quick way to test your own contact form’s effectiveness?
Tags:
#ux #conversion #growth
Answer
Fill it out yourself—on your phone. If it takes more than a minute or feels like a chore, you’re losing business. The process should be fast and painless.
Takeaway: Test your form regularly to spot and remove pain points.
Question
How do you know if your contact form needs improvement?
Tags:
#leadgeneration #ux #conversion
Answer
Ask a friend to try it. Have them fill out your form and time how long it takes. If they find it slow or annoying, your clients will too.
Takeaway: Get feedback from others to uncover hidden friction.
Question
Should you require an address just for an event inquiry?
Tags:
#leadgeneration #ux #conversion
Answer
Absolutely not. Making people give you their street address just to ask a question is a guaranteed way to lose them. Only ask for details you genuinely need to start a conversation.
Takeaway: Only request what you need to begin the conversation.
Question
What’s a better way to handle phone number fields in contact forms?
Tags:
#leadgeneration #ux #sales
Answer
Make the phone number optional. Or clarify it’s just for texting if people prefer that. Give clients a choice in how they want to communicate with you.
Takeaway: Give control back to the client.
Question
Is it ever okay to keep friction in your contact process?
Tags:
#sales #businessgrowth #customerexperience
Answer
If you’re already winning all the business you want with your current system, maybe. But most people need to make it easier—not harder—for clients to reach them. Don’t let old habits cost you new business.
Takeaway: Remove friction unless your results are already perfect.
Question
What’s the danger of pushing for phone calls repeatedly?
Tags:
#sales #customerexperience #leadgeneration
Answer
If someone says they prefer email or can’t call right now, respect that. Keep pushing, and you’ll likely lose the client for good. They’ll find someone who values their time.
Takeaway: Listen when clients say how they want to engage.
Question
Why is it risky to hide or withhold your pricing?
Tags:
#pricing #sales #leadgeneration
Answer
People want honesty. If you won’t give even a ballpark price, you look secretive or out of reach. They won’t waste time guessing—they’ll pick a competitor who’s upfront.
Takeaway: Transparency beats secrecy in pricing.
Question
Is it better to give an exact price or a price range up front?
Tags:
#pricing #sales #transparency
Answer
A range is perfect. You don’t need precision, just enough for them to know if you’re a fit. If your numbers work, the conversation continues. If not, you both save time.
Takeaway: A price range opens the door to honest conversations.
Question
How does failing to meet clients where they are impact your business?
Tags:
#customerexperience #sales #communication
Answer
If you only use the communication platform you prefer—like phone calls—you miss the ones who’d rather email, text, or use social media. You need to be flexible to win more business.
Takeaway: Win more clients by matching their preferred communication style.
Question
Why do most people abandon a contact form before finishing?
Tags:
#leadgeneration #ux #sales
Answer
Because it feels like too much work. Every extra box to fill increases the chance they’ll quit and go elsewhere. People move fast online. You can’t ask for the world before you’ve earned their trust.
Takeaway: Simple forms lead to more leads.
Question
What does every extra step in your sales process really mean?
Tags:
#sales #conversion #customerexperience
Answer
More steps equal more chances to say no. If you already have someone at your contact page, don’t scare them off with more work.
Takeaway: Stop adding hurdles right before the finish line.
Question
How does giving general price info help qualify leads?
Tags:
#pricing #leadqualification #sales
Answer
If you tell people your typical price range, you attract those who can actually afford you, and save time for everyone else. This way, you avoid wasting effort on leads that were never a good fit.
Takeaway: Price transparency filters in real prospects.
Question
What’s the fastest way to miss out on new business opportunities?
Tags:
#leadgeneration #sales #customerexperience
Answer
Making people jump through hoops—extra forms, forced calls, slow replies—when they’re ready to buy. They’ll simply find someone more accessible.
Takeaway: Remove all barriers from the buying process.
