Remember the last time you asked a potential client for a budget and they said, “Just show me something and if I like it then I’ll buy it”?
You may have thought the client was trying to give you a hard time, but they weren’t.
In reality they’re probably someone who is fairly new to their affluence and enjoying the ability to purchase whatever they want. The down side here is that they’re not educated to how big a project can be nor how expensive products can truly be. Even more importantly, they’re not positioned to continue working with you because they don’t have a budget in mind.
Designing without a budget is a total waste of your and your client’s time. So while the last thing in the world you want to do is rain on your potential client’s parade by ruining the fun they’re having with their money, you just need a better way to explain the overall processes and the importance of having a budget.
Do you know what to say to end the “I can buy whatever I want” syndrome? Try this super easy script for changing this stalemate into a meaningful money conversation:
“That’s great! I’m glad you’re interested in quality and open to seeing some beautiful furniture. But I need to tell you that I’d be SOOO embarrassed if I presented my design for the Great Room with a $35,000 area rug and you were instead thinking more like $7,5000.”