ANSWER:

Asking about money and timing feels awkward, but you lose deals by avoiding it. The trick is phrasing: make it about partnership, not interrogation.

Try:

“To make sure I don’t waste your time or mine — what range were you envisioning for this project? And when did you hope to start construction?”

Then follow with empathy: “Totally fine if you’re exploring—just want to know how realistic we need to get.”

After they answer, mirror and reframe: “Interesting. That aligns with what we do. If your budget moves, we can adjust scope, but that gives me a working target.”

For timeline: ask “Is that timeline firm, or is there flexibility depending on options/permits?”

This gives you guardrails without coming off as rigid or salesy.

WHY IT MATTERS:

Without qualification, you waste time and invite tension later. In Jason’s challenge, you’ll get conversation flows and qualifiers tailored to B2C and new-home audiences.