Predicting a client's budget is bad business, as Business by Design reports.

THIS MONTH:
+ Guess Less
+ Value Added

+ Guess Less
Who are you to decide what your clients can't afford?
Are you a design professional who often presumes what's not in the budget of those you serve?

Hey, what's up with that? How can you be so sure what they'll spend?

How can you know, ahead of time, that they won't invest in your most expensive design services?

Or that they won't spring for your highest ticket products?

Maybe you worked with them before, but how do you know what they'll do now?

You don't.

The automatic assumption that a client can't afford your priciest product lines is asinine. And, it's an excuse.

It's an excuse for not confronting the challenge of selling "Up." It's an excuse for not promoting yourself. It's an excuse for not Going for the Gold.

Don't make excuses. Make plans.

Plan to communicate with confidence about your most expensive services and products -- and about yourself.

Why? Because it will bolster both your confidence and your sales.

+Value Added
Clients find a way to afford things they attach the most value to.

How good are you at sharing your value with your clients?

Don't waste time assuming that clients can't afford your costliest carpets or countertops or cabinets.

Focus, instead, on why they should make the investment in them...and you. Talk about how those items will complement their corporate image, or enhance their home's resale value.

Then, hear what they have to say about the price.

"Let the customer decide if they'll spend the money on your most expensive stuff," a top window fashion professional once told me. "You don't know their bank accounts."