Let’s get real.
You can have the best product.
The slickest branding.
The most passionate pitch.
But if your customer can’t afford you—or hasn’t planned for you—you’re going to struggle to close sales.
Not because you’re not good at what you do.
But because your product never made it onto their budget.
Let me explain.
People Don’t Just Spend—They Budget
Most people live month-to-month.
They have a paycheck, they have rent, they have school fees, transport, groceries, airtime, maybe even a loan or two.
So they plan.
They assign money for what matters most.
And when something isn’t on that list?
Well… it probably won’t get bought. At least not consistently.
That’s why, as a business owner, you can’t afford to ignore this one question:
“Do my customers actually have a budget for the thing I’m selling?”
If they don’t, your product becomes a nice-to-have, not a must-have.
And in tight economies, nice-to-haves get left behind.
Two Questions Every Business Owner Should Be Asking
Before you launch a product—or even before you market it—you need to pause and ask:
1. “Is this something my customer has planned to spend money on this month?”
If it’s not in their monthly plan, it’s not in their monthly purchase.
2. “If they do have a budget for this, how much is it—and how often can they afford to buy?”
Is it once a month? Twice? Every other month?
You don’t need exact figures, but you need a strong idea.
Because this is where businesses miss the mark.
When the Price Doesn’t Fit the Pocket
Let me paint a picture.
A salon opens up, beautifully designed, with skilled staff and premium services.
They price their hair styling at $50.
Now here’s the problem:
Their ideal customer? She only budgets $40 per month for hair.
She likes the salon. She even walks in to ask questions.
But she never books.
Not because she’s not interested.
But because she just can’t stretch that extra $10.
And her budget is already spoken for.
So what happens?
- The salon sees interest, but no conversion.
- They burn through marketing budget, hoping to attract more people who also can’t afford them.
- And they wonder why their chairs are still empty.
This story plays out every day in small businesses across the country.
Want to Sell More? Get Closer to the Budget
Here’s what I’ve learned—and I say this with love and experience:
💡 If you want to sell more, you don’t just need to know what your customer wants.
You need to know what they can actually afford.
You need to understand their spending habits, their priorities, and the role your product plays in their lives.
If you’re selling outside your customer’s budget range, you have two options:
- Adjust your offer or pricing to fit within what they can handle, or
- Target a different customer segment—one whose wallet matches your value.
Either way, the goal is alignment.
Don’t Sell What People Aren’t Planning to Buy
One more thing:
Be careful about starting businesses or pushing products that customers haven’t even made space for in their budgets.
Yes, innovation is great.
But if you’re constantly trying to convince people to care about something that doesn’t even register in their monthly plan, you’re going to be fighting an uphill battle.
Instead, go where the money already flows.
Position your product as a natural part of what your ideal customer is already spending on.
It’s easier to insert yourself into a budget than to convince someone to create a new one just for you.
Let’s wrap up
This one principle has saved me years of struggle.
Before I launch, I ask:
- “Do my customers have room for this in their monthly spend?”
- “Can they afford this more than once?”
- “Is this a priority—or am I just hoping they’ll find space for me?”
Because let’s face it—no matter how much they like your product,
if it doesn’t fit the budget, it won’t fit their life.
Know your customer.
Understand their reality.
And sell in a way that makes sense for them.
That’s how you win.
Unlock your true potential 