“No Budget”
First step when they say “No budget”?
1: “Totally fair—many feel the same until they see cost savings offset spend.”
2: “Okay, maybe later.”
First clarifying question?
1: “What do you like most about it?”
2: “Okay, glad it works.”
Best first response?
1: “Totally fair—what’s taking priority for you right now when it comes to cost management?”
2: “Okay, I’ll stop calling.”
How to avoid a brush-off?
1: “Of course—just so I send the most useful info, what’s your biggest challenge right now?”
2: “Sure, I’ll email you.”
Prospect says “We’re considering building an internal tool instead.” Your response?
1: “Makes sense—many tried that, then switched after seeing the time and maintenance costs. Can I show the comparison?”
2: “I understand. Would it help if I shared a case study comparing both approaches?”
How to uncover what budget actually exists?
1: “Got it—what areas are you currently investing in to reduce costs or drive growth?”
2: “So there’s no budget at all?”
How to gently surface pain points?
1: “Sounds like it’s working—are there any areas where it falls short?”
2: “Would you say it’s perfect?”
How would you uncover what “not a priority” really means?
1: “When you say not a priority, do you mean budget, timing, or something else?”
2: “So it’s just not important right now?”
How to test genuine interest?
1: “Happy to send it—what are you hoping to learn from the info?”
2: “What do you want me to send?”
Prospect says “We don’t have time to train the crew.”
1: “I get it—our onboarding is designed to take minimal time. Can I show how foremen and superintendents get up to speed in just a few days?”
2: “Training is a problem, so maybe later.”
How to reframe budget objections with ROI?
1: “Budget’s tight because profits leak. Can I show how others cut costs enough to self-fund?”
2: “We can look at ROI numbers together.”
How to highlight limitations without bashing?
1: “Great that it’s working—others liked X too, but struggled with Y. Do you ever run into that?”
2: “Our system is different.”
How would you reframe the convo to create interest?
1: “Understood. Many contractors didn’t think it was a priority until they saw how much money was left on the table each job.”
2: “It could become important later.”
How would you try to earn a call instead of just emailing?
1: “Happy to send it. Usually a 10-min walkthrough makes it more valuable—when’s a good time?”
2: “I’ll send our brochure.”
Prospect says “We have too many competing priorities to focus on this.”
1: “Totally understandable—if I can show a small glimpse of what the software can do to improve your job costs, would you consider it?”
Prospect says “We just approved next year’s budget.”
1: “That’s great timing—we could scope a project now so you’re ready when funds free up.”
2: “Okay, I’ll check back in a year.”
Prospect says, “We’ve been with our provider for 10 years.”
1: “That loyalty says a lot. Out of curiosity, what’s kept you with them this long, and what would make you consider a change?”
2: “Ten years is a long time.”
Prospect says: “We’re focused on bigger issues right now.”
1: “That makes sense—our customers often find fixing [this area] actually supports those bigger issues. Can I share how?”
2: “Got it, you’ve got bigger things to handle.”
Prospect says: “Just email me, I’ll get back to you.”
1: “Sure—I’ll send it, but to make sure it’s useful, let’s book 10 minutes to review. Does Thursday work?”
2: “I’ll wait for you to call me.”
“We just switched software last year, not ready for another.”
1: “Understood. Many contractors felt the same—can I show how a small integration with one crew could save time without disrupting your current setup?”
2: “That makes sense. Could I share a quick example of how others integrated smoothly?”
CFO says: “Not spending a dime this year.”
1: “Makes sense—let’s talk about setting you up for next year’s budget cycle. If I show savings in job costs, would you want that built into your forecast?”
2: “Okay, I’ll follow up next year.”
“We’ve used Excel for 20 years—no need to change.”
1: “Excel’s powerful, but not designed for job costing/compliance. Can I show you where contractors lose margin with spreadsheets?”
2: “We’re better than Excel.”
Prospect insists: “We’ll never need this.”
1: “Sounds like you’re confident things are running smoothly. If there was one thing you’d improve about your jobs, what would it be?”
2: “Okay, I’ll take you off the list.”
Prospect never schedules, only asks for more information. What’s your escalation to get a meeting?
1: “Totally fine—what I’ll do is send a quick case study, then follow up with a short call to see if the challenges resonate. Does that work?”
2: “Okay, I’ll just keep emailing you.”
“Our IT department won’t approve new software right now.”
1: “Completely understand. If I can outline the minimal IT requirements and how it integrates, would it be worth sharing with them?”
2: “Makes sense. Could I provide some info for IT to look at when they have capacity?”