Headwinds are everywhere: tighter budgets, longer approvals, and more pressure to do more with less.
For B2B founders, it feels like every conversation ends with: “We love it, but not this quarter.”
The risk? Many founders freeze too, waiting for the market to rebound, or worse, slashing prices in desperation.
The truth? Customers are still buying. They’re just buying differently. If you adapt, a down market can be the best time to prove your value and win loyal customers.
Meet BuildLogix
One company we worked with – let’s call them BuildLogix to protect their confidentiality – sells workflow software for commercial construction projects.
When projects slowed in 2024, so did their pipeline. At first, it felt like nothing could move. But instead of retreating, BuildLogix reframed their GTM motion around one question:
“How does this help my customer survive right now?”
Here’s how they did it (and how you can, too).
Step 1: Lead With Cost Savings, Not Innovation
In good times, BuildLogix sold “future efficiency.” In tough times, they sold “immediate savings.”
Their messaging shifted from “optimize project workflows” to “cut 12% from subcontractor spend this quarter.”
Action for you: Rewrite your value proposition through the lens of today’s urgency. If your headline doesn’t tie directly to cost reduction, risk mitigation, or revenue protection, it ight not land in markets experiences a downturn.
Step 2: Shrink the Ask
Instead of pitching full-scale rollouts, BuildLogix offered 90-day pilots covering a single project.
Lower stakes made the decision easier and gave buyers something they could say yes to (even inside a “budget freeze.”)
Action for you: Define your “down-market offer.” What’s the smallest, fastest-to-value version of your product that still proves ROI?
Step 3: Sell to Mid-Level Buyers
When CFOs started vetoing deals, BuildLogix went deeper into the org chart. They found operational managers with discretionary budgets who cared about hitting their KPIs.
Those smaller wins stacked up, and later expanded when budgets loosened.
Action for you: Map your buyer ecosystem. Who else feels the pain your product solves and can still sign a smaller check today?
Step 4: Arm Your Buyers With Proof
Every prospect wanted hard ROI.
BuildLogix tracked savings from pilots and packaged them into simple “1-pager” ROI calculators.
Action for you: Don’t just promise ROI, prove it. Create a lightweight calculator you can reuse across accounts.
(NB: If you’re struggling with getting your ROI calculator to get a close approximation, it could be a signal to return to your ICP because your customer type is too broad to calculate ROI with accuracy.)
Step 5: Stay Present, Even in “No”
Half of BuildLogix’s deals closed after six months of “budget freeze.” Why? Because they didn’t disappear.
They kept sharing insights, benchmarks, and light-touch check-ins until the doors reopened.
Action for you: Build a nurture plan for every Mr./Ms. Right Later (ie, “no for now.”) A quarterly benchmark email or curated industry update keeps you relevant without being pushy.
The Payoff of Selling in a Down Market
BuildLogix didn’t wait for budgets to thaw. They adapted. They closed 14 pilot deals during the slowdown. Deals that later expanded into enterprise contracts once spending returned.
The lesson? A tough market isn’t the end of sales, it’s the filter that forces clarity.
If you can prove you save money, reduce risk, or generate revenue now, you’ll earn customers who stick with you long after the market rebounds.
Because in a down market, founders don’t just survive by selling differently, they earn the trust that builds durable companies.
Want help adapting your GTM strategy to today’s market? Let’s talk.