One of the issues that salespeople struggle with in the Budget Step is the affordability of their product or service. Salespeople who sell a product or service that they can't personally afford frequently have trouble talking about money. Because their product is too expensive for them, they assume it's too expensive for their prospects.

A good rule of thumb to remember: Never look in your prospect's pocket.

You're selling BMWs and the average price is $55,000. Besides the company car, which costs you nothing, you own a ten-year-old Chevy, worth a few hundred dollars. Your prospect has enough pain to move to the Budget Step, but you choke. Why? Because you think that spending $55,000 for a car is extravagant. Your customer empathy shows all over your face and suddenly the only thing in the way of making the sale is you. Don't project a poor self-image to your prospect. Get out of the way of the sale. Let your prospects buy your product or service because it satisfies their pain. Learn that, and you'll go to the bank more often!

When your prospects are really in pain, it's not rude to talk about money. In fact, it would be rude not to.

Dan Hudock is an owner of the Sandler Sales Institute in Pittsburgh, PA. He can be reached at (724) 940-2388 or dan@sandler.com. His web site is: http://www.dan.sandler.com