Why Skipping Budget Conversations Is Impacting Your Sales Process w/ Jon Valenta from General Pavingstones

So we need to, as an industry, we need to become better and better at having this conversation around budget. And the better we can do that, the more we can do it tactfully, the way we can do it with kindness and truth, the better we're going to be able to serve.

Welcome to the Sales Made Simple podcast. This podcast is dedicated to helping

overwhelmed outdoor living professionals, landscapers, and hardscapers just like you increase your closing rate to over 75% without doubling your workload so you can build a seven-figure business that doesn't need you. I'm your host, Joshua Gillow. Let's dig in.

Hey everybody, John Valenta here at the Sales Made Simple podcast. I am with General Paving Stones and I'm a guest here with Joshua Gillow just doing the introduction today. And I wanted to go right into a story that I had happened last week, going through the sales process and doing everything I can to pre-qualify and save time that way I can concentrate my time on what's important, whether it's aspects of the business or taking time off from the business. But I really try to follow the sales process, but once in a while I give in and I don't or I skip a step and it always ends up blowing up in the end. So I had a really good referral from a really good friend and it was, hey, this guy is ready to go. He just put the pool in. He needs retaining wall. He needs a multi-level patio. He needs walkways, low voltage lighting. His yard's a mess. He wants to be able to use it this summer. He's ready to go. Come on, let's go. So I did. And we got there and yeah, the yard is a mud pit, pools in the ground, and it's a big slope and he's got no way to get into the backyard. And he's got, you know, kids and grandkids and everybody wants to use this pool. So I just start asking, you know, the usual questions. because I didn't get to talk to him on the phone. It was a friend and he was like, come on over. Okay, let's go. And asking him about how they're using the space and who's going to use it and how many people and what inspired him and all the good questions. And everything's going great. And I asked the budget question. I just said to him, him and his wife were out there. How much were you guys planning to invest in this project? And he said, just straight up, looked me right in the eyes and says, okay. I got to be south of 20,000. And the whole time I'm looking at the project and asking him questions and I'm looking around and I'm just adding this all up in my head, retaining wall, multi-level patio, stairs, walkways, low voltage lighting. And then he says he can't spend more than 20,000. And I'm like, this is at least 60, probably closer to 80. So that's what I just said to him. I said, you know, this is... You're looking at three to four times that. And he said, actually, he said, thank you. Thank you for telling me what this was going to cost because now I know I can't do it. And I'm just going to have to get creative and I'm going to get my tractor out here and I'm just going to grade this slope and seed it. And we're just going to have to deal with it. And we're not going to have the multi-level patio and the retaining wall and the walkways and low