You may have been told this sometimes. This is music to your ears. First, this sentence means sad news. But, actually it’s the best thing that you can be told as a professional. Because it will save you time, efforts, and future frustrations.
When a potential client tells you that they “don’t have a budget for your services” (even when they have asked you for a proposal), or that they are going to choose another agency because it is “cheaper”, they are actually sending you a deeper message: “I do not understand your work, or I don’t respect your profession.” And they will probably never do. So, it’s better this way. Trust me.
A common mistake when looking for a job companion is to look at the price and not the profit that it can give you. In the same way that the menu of a luxury restaurant cannot have the same price as a fast food one, a professional who has invested years and a lot of money in his training, cannot cost the same as the one that has built his livelihood as a safe-conduct to the lack of other skills.
So, when they tell you that you are expensive, you appreciate it because you are receiving the same transparency that you offer to your clients. And because only those of you who are in this sector know that many people try to do your job. But that does not necessarily mean that they all know how to do it.