A question of budget

Negotiation takes on a whole new meaning when you are dealing with leads whose vendor selection criteria defaults to cost and rarely ever has a damned thing to do with level of talent, years of experience, or professionalism.

No matter what I am presented with, the first two questions I always ask are:

What's your budget?

How many other vendors are you considering for this work? 

My local market is saturated with web design and development shops. Ten years ago, I was one of a half dozen independent web professionals in Atlanta. Today that number is well over three hundred. Nine times out of ten, an average lead has shot-gunned an inquiry out to a dozen or more vendors. I simply don't want to waste time working through the sales process with potential clients who clearly haven't done any research on their own to narrow down their selections. Nor do I want to waste my time working with a potential client who hasn't done enough research to understand the costs involved in professional design and development. 

While I have learned to listen to my instincts regarding leads, the preceding questions go a very long way toward qualifying potential clients before I make any effort to win their business. If I am not able to get answers from a direct line of questioning, I politely decline the opportunity and move on.

Evasiveness on behalf of any lead is the first and final red flag.