HOW TO GET THE CLIENT TO TELL YOU BUDGET

By:- Ashish B Pawar

One of the most difficult pieces of the sales process for most people is discussing budget. How exactly do you get your client to tell you what her budget is?

The simple answer is: "You ask.“

The more in depth answer is: "You ask the right way."

HERE'S THE RIGHT WAY During the fact gathering part of the sales process, and after you've

learned about what the client wants and why she wants it, then you ask her as calmly and naturally as you asked her all the other questions, "What is your budget for this project?" (Don't ask the client "Do you have a budget?" because she will answer this question with a "yes" or "no" which won't help you. You want a number.)

Your job is to make it okay for the client to discuss money. Most people are uncomfortable discussing money. You need to make it a comfortable process, so make sure you practice discussing budget so you don't hesitate or act nervous when you're with a client. If you're nervous then you will project that onto the client and the client will be nervous, too.

WHEN ASKED THIS QUESTION, CLIENTS WILL ONLY ANSWER IN ONE OF THREE WAYS: 1. I don't know.

2. I don't feel comfortable telling you that.

3. $10,000 (or some number).

Answer one ("I don't know.") means that the client either doesn't actually know what her budget is or she's not comfortable answering.

Number two ("Not comfortable.") means that someone told her never to reveal her budget to a salesperson. Both one and two are essentially the same answer, so no matter which answer you get, you handle them the same way.

Behave as if this is perfectly understandable and just part of the process of you understanding her needs as best you can. Then you have to help her along and show her it's okay to discuss budget. You can do this by setting up a healthy budget range to give her a little push towards something you can work with.

For example, you say, "Based on what you've told me so far, the event your describing should cost anywhere from $4,000 to $9,000." Then you shut up and let the client react.

The client will only react in one of three ways after you proposed a price range.

1. Oh my gosh! I didn't expect that!

2. Oh, okay.

3. Oh really? That's all? Here's a check.

The first reaction means the client hasn't really done any research or got a bogus idea of how much something should cost 

No matter why she was surprised, this client isn't yet lost. You can respond to her by saying something like: "You seem surprised. What amount were you expecting?" This gives the client permission to discuss money more freely.

From this point, the client will usually respond in one of two ways:

1. With a reasonable (but lower) number. If the client gives you a number which is reasonable, then you can help educate her on why the number is higher or you can help her understand what items can be removed from her original plan to help her reach her budget.

2. With an unreasonable (way too low for you to even consider even bothering with a proposal) number. If the client gives you an unreasonable number which no amount of educating or negotiating could solve, then send the client on her merry way.

The second client reaction ("Oh, okay.") means that you and the client are on the same page and there will be no surprises for the client when she gets the proposal. This reaction also means that it is probably worth your time to prepare a proposal.

The third client reaction ("That's all?") means that you're not charging enough. Raise your prices right away!

Overall, the most important part of finding out the client's budget is your attitude when you ask and how you respond to the client's reaction. You have to discuss budget comfortably and make the client comfortable to discuss it, too.

Thank you…..