I have worked with sales people that asked this question in the first 30 seconds of a new relationship and with salespeople who never asked it. Both may be wrong, but the guy who asks the budget question early closes more deals than the never asker. Lets look at case one. Sure there are more elegant ways to find this out. But do not beat around the bush, or be indifferent in determining the ability to invest in your service or solution. Solutions cost money and the longer I do this the more true “you get what you pay for,” is. The salesperson’s time is valuable as his company’s investment in results. Determine the budget early and keep verifying by revisiting the funding question.
Now on to case 2. Why do salesman not ask the budget question? Do they realize that the deal can not be donw with out money. I hear salesman AND sales execs say “we are very flexible in our pricing” early in the sales cycle. When I hear this I start looking for the vaseline. When I hear this I think the saleman and sales exec are gutless, afraid to ask the money question.
BUDGET the first requirement for BANT. “Sir, can you invest in this solution, Sir, is this project funded?”
Ask the question…
