When someone says they don’t have the money . . .

When someone tells you they don’t have the money to do something, it can mean many different things. This applies to all relationships, not only to prospective clients and customers.

They might mean, “I don’t have as much money as I used to, and that makes me afraid even though I still have enough.” Or, “I can’t pay the mortgage and my credit cards are maxed out. There is no cash.” Or they could be saying, “If I understood the value of your offering, it would become a priority, but so far it isn’t.”

How can we understand their meaning more clearly and know how to respond appropriately?

Remember that their statement may or may not be saying, “No.” Since you aren’t sure, a follow up question is appropriate, and will keep the conversation going.

Don’t give energy to a ‘woe is me’ story. That reinforces their fear and feeling like a victim. Approaching them with open-hearted understanding lets them know that you are on their side.

Personal and cultural context are also at play. You may already know that this person doesn’t say “No” clearly, or that they always say “No” first to buy themselves time to think something through. Consider where you are. Some regions or cultures avoid direct communication, while others are defined by an in-your-face approach.

What follow up questions you ask will be determined by all of these factors. Even if you are pretty sure they mean “No”, if they have not clearly said “No”, you may ask them for clarity with respect and gentleness. This keeps it in the realm of a conversation, a dance of a growing relationship, rather than a pushy sales job, but this is exactly where many of us stop short. We are so worried about being pushy, we fail to ask for more details. We forget that we can ask in ways that validate the connection between you and your prospect.

Here are several follow up questions you might ask:

“Would you like me to check back with you about this in the future?”

“Do you have any questions or concerns about this that I could answer right now?”

“Is there something I could do or add that would make this work for you right now?”

Depending upon your situation and your philosophy, you might ask:

“What could you afford to pay?”

“Would a payment plan make this possible for you?”

Although open ended questions (vs. yes/no) invite more conversation, in my experience, any question leads to more discussion and an opportunity for further connection.

Whether you are talking with a potential client or discussing whether to go out for dinner with a friend, you are seeking to enroll the other person into your program, even if the program is called “let’s agree on a way to have dinner that works for both of us.”

A few years ago, many people spent money on things because they wanted to appear successful. I don’t wish anyone economic hardship, but I hope we are past that now. Today, as many of us are making more measured spending decisions, we have many opportunities to engage with people in more authentic ways. As you interact with your prospects and colleagues, you give them a preview of what it could be like to work with you. Like they say: marketing = communication and communication = marketing.