Getting Over Your Presuppositions with Money

Because we’re raised in different environments, different families, and even different times, our attitudes of money can be completely different than others. For example, my grandmother reused wrapping paper, even in good times, because her family went through the depression. On the other hand, I have friends who openly talk about how much money they and their families make. It’s all just a matter of what your presuppositions are. As sales people, our presuppositions about money can hinder our ability to adequately serve our clients. If we assume that a client is stingy with their money, then we might not offer them a more pricey service or product that could really fill their need. In addition, if we’re more loose with money, then we might offend our clients with our forwardness while discussing budget. The best way to introduce budget is to approach it with sensitivity, but also let your client know what is open to them. If you ask an opening question, like “Do you mind if we talk about budget for a minute?”, then that might warm them up to the idea of talking about budget, without surprising them. In addition, if you give your clients brackets of what prices would work for each product or services that you offer, then that might be a more low pressure way of telling them what they could get for what price. In total, don’t be afraid to talk about money, but always approach it with a sensitive attitude.