Bracketing

Bracketing is a great way to help with the budget issue in a the sales process. Customers have a powerful asset in budget, as it gives them a great deal of leverage in the sales experience. It is common for clients to lie and not be forthcoming about their budget, but it is important for the salesperson to find or gauge this issue.

Salespeople use bracketing to to get a better understanding of that the customer’s budget is. This is usually done by starting with a number and then working down or up from it. Some good example of what to say were given in class, but personal favorite was,  “In our business, we typically see people spend in 3 price ranges. $__(Low)__, $__(Middle)__, and $__(High)__. Which of those price ranges do you see yourself spending in?”

Another form of bracketing, is seen through the use of a sticker shock or reality check. This is where the salesperson purposely tries to shock the customer with a number that the salesperson expects them to be surprised by. Judging by the customer’s reaction to the number, salespeople can then narrow down a more realistic number that their client is likely to spend at. A good example of this would be, “What if I told you (the client) that sometimes these can cost as much as $__(High)__. What would you think about that?”

While bracketing can prove to be a very useful tool in finding a customer’s budget, in the end the customer will determine if you get to know their actual budget. Customers lie all the time, so it is important to never assume anything, especially their budget!