The trap most reps fall into. Either they avoid budget entirely ("we can talk price later") and waste 45 minutes on someone with no money — or they ask "what's your budget?" and either get a lowball lie or get anchored too low.
The reframe. Budget isn't a number — it's a range tied to outcome. Ask it that way.
The script.
"Just so I don't waste your time — most clients we work with on something this scope invest somewhere between $X and $Y depending on how much we take on. Where in that range can you operate, or is it a different conversation entirely?"
What this does.
- Anchors the range yourself before they anchor you low.
- Gives them an out — "different conversation entirely" lets them surface budget mismatch without lying.
- Asks for a position in your range — not "what's your budget?" The frame is already set.
Three responses you'll get and how to read each.
- "Yeah, we can operate in that range." → Qualified. Move forward confidently.
- "That's higher than I was thinking — closer to $Z." → Honest mismatch. Now you decide: re-scope to a smaller package, or politely decline.
- "I don't really have a budget set." → Either a tire-kicker or a high-trust prospect. Probe further: "Got it — when you say no budget, do you mean you'd want to see the proposal first, or that there's no real money behind this?"
Where to ask. After Problem and Implication questions, before pitching anything. They've felt the pain by then; the budget reveal is calibrated to felt cost.