Price asked in the first minute
Phone call with a groundnut processor in Rajkot who picked up after your cold email.
They sayBefore anything else, what do you charge?
Strong replies
7 to 12% of annual CTC, depending on the role, paid only when the person joins. Which roles are you thinking of?
For most field roles it's around 9%. Can I ask which roles you have open, so I can tell you where you'd fall?
Why they work
A clear range with a reason sets your anchor and shows confidence, and the question brings the call back to their needs.
A weak reply
It depends, let me first understand your needs. Dodging the question sounds evasive and makes the buyer suspect a high number.