When asked what a customer’s budget is, they will often try to keep it a secret.  The “secret budget” derives from the idea that by making the budget known, the other party will try to take all of it. What they are really hoping is that someone will bid much less than the budget.  What they want is a “deal”, but what they are going to get is disappointment.

If you tell me that you have a budget of $20 000, I’m going to tell you how to get as much as possible for that price. If you are keeping that number a secret because you hope to only spend $10 000, then you should just say that $10 000 is your budget.

When you are unwilling to reveal your budget, my only option is to guess and flood you with more options than you have time to view.  I am flying in the dark trying to figure out if you need inexpensive items or  top quality ones. This delays the process of creating accurate quotes deliverable in a reasonable time-frame.

Budget defines the size, boundaries and feasibility of a project. Understand your budget and the trade-off between quality vs. price. Sure, price is important, but there is a trade-off. Quality work, on-time with limited or no re-work, comes at a price.  Do you want cheap imported product 5 months from now or quality domestic products in a few weeks?

Set a clear, realistic budget that matches the quality you want. If you’re not sure where to start, talk to an Account Manager who will be more than happy to give you a quote while clearly laying out the deliverables.