This was originally posted 5 years ago. Opinions, facts and reality may have changed.
Too often it can be a cat and mouse game. Especially at the beginning of a working relationship when you’re still trying to build trust.
“So what kind of budget are you looking to spend on this project Mr Client?”, I ask.
“If I tell you that, you’ll just spend it all!”, comes the reply.
Tell me what you want to spend and I’ll work out what I can offer you for that amount of money. This isn’t a zero sum game. The client doesn’t have to lose (budget) in order for me to win (profit).
If a client tells me they have £10k to spend on a new website, I’m going to recommend a certain course of action. Tell me it’s £50k and the outputs change accordingly.
The £50k budget doesn’t mean that £40k is being wasted or that the client is overpaying.
It means they’ve bought “more website stuff”, perhaps with additional functionalities and integrations that weren’t possible with the lower budget. A car is still a car whether it’s a second hand Lada or a brand new Mercedees. And sometimes you have to make the most of the Lada whilst you save for the Merc.
And it works both ways: recently I told a client that what they wanted to do would only require a budget half the size of the one they were proposing.
A reputable partner isn’t interested in the quick hit. They want to build long-standing relationships. And they can only come when trust is established.
It can take a long-time to establish trust. And it can very quickly get destroyed.
Criteria. Guidelines. Briefs. These things create a structure within which to work on a proposal or a project. If you tell me you have £x to spend on something, I’ll work hard to provide you with the maximum you can have for £x.
Structure doesn’t destroy creativity. Indeed, effective marketing requires structure to succeed.
So, if your marketing partner asks for a budget, then let them know. If they’re worth working with, they’ll make the best of what you can afford. And, if they believe it’s not enough to achieve your stated aims will hopefully have the confidence to tell you.
Great marketing is a team sport, not a head to head battle.