We all have an emotional response to money. Let me repeat, we all have an emotional response to money. We either see it as a necessary evil or are terrified of it; some of us are in the middle.
The bottom line is don’t be afraid of it or the money conversation because we all have a reaction or response to money. The key to having a successful conversation about budget is to get comfortable talking about it (and money) in the context as a resource.
Therefore, if money is a resource by which we and businesses operate and execute our vision and plans; (think Christmas shopping; we use money to buy gifts that ultimately make people happy) our goal should be to lead the conversation down the path of budget being used to execute a vision.
Actions tips of the day:
- What’s your relationship with money? Identify where YOU stand, resolve any issues, and be careful to not bring your feelings about money into the conversation. ie, don’t make decisions with your wallet for your buyer
- Learn the difference between money and budget
- Learn to approach budget conversations from a pragmatic standpoint. Here’s how you can do this – go have a conversation with your CFO or VP or somebody else who holds the proverbial purse strings. Go prepared with questions and ask them how they approach budget conversations. The answers will help you in future conversations with your buyers.
Resources:
Openview Labs – I’m a fan of their content, take a look at their blog posts on budget
Dionne is a 20 year sales veteran having built and scaled Inside Sales team from the ground up. She started her own firm, Inside Sales by Design, to work with companies wanting to build their Inside Sales Teams right the first time and transform their current Inside Sales Team into something greater. Dionne believes in and uses common sense, practical approaches to inspire leaders and teams to greatness.