Sales made Simple for Outdoor Living Pros, Landscapers and Hardscapers (formerly Outerspaces) Why Avoiding Budget Conversations Is Costing Contractors Big Jobs w/ Jon Valenta from General Pavingstones
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Jan 14, 2026 Jon Valenta, owner of General Pavingstones, shares his wealth of experience in hardscaping and landscaping. He dives into the pitfalls of avoiding budget talks, revealing how scope creep can lead to lost projects. Valenta recounts using a proactive follow-up strategy, like offering checks for past clients, which unexpectedly revived his business. The conversation touches on the importance of mindset in the face of rejection and offers practical advice for tackling budget conversations early on to maintain client trust and increase success.
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Two Big Projects Fell Through
- Jon Valenta had a 3.5-year streak of almost 100% closes before two design clients said no after final proposals.
- Both projects grew during design and ended up above the originally discussed budget range, surprising Jon and costing him work for the season.
Tell Clients Bad News Early
- Do notify clients immediately when design changes will push the project above the agreed budget range.
- Call them as soon as you know and discuss options instead of surprising them at the final proposal.
Call Past Clients Proactively
- Do call past clients regularly and offer to inspect or fix any issues for free to build trust and trigger new projects.
- Jon made ~75 calls and generated roughly 75% of that year's sales from those reconnects and small repairs.