How identifying the customers’ budget helps you sell

Selling technology or a service to businesses usually involves several departments. A sponsor advocates its purchase, staff are the users, IT provides technical support and management, HR supports the implementation process. With all this complexity and different audience requirements, it can be hard to work out how to close the sale.

One way to cut through the complexity and improve your chances of success is to identify which budget is paying for it. This simple question and follow on questions about measurements of success, ROI etc does several things. Firstly it shows you are interested in the value they seek. Secondly it helps you find out more about the job they want performing and their dissatisfactions with the current system. Thirdly, you are far better able to market your proposition if you know what the value is to them.  Fourthly it identifies others involved in the decision making process. And finally, it helps you identify their level of commitment if for instance no budget has been allocated, saving you time and energy.

One question can lead to happier exchanges all round.

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