We just completed a budget cut — discretionary spending is frozen for the quarter.

"What's the spend freeze threshold — is there a dollar amount below which no approval is needed? Sometimes the right answer is a smaller footprint."

"We can structure a proof-of-concept at a cost that doesn't trigger the freeze — small enough to move forward, large enough to show real results. Want to see if it fits?"

"Discretionary freezes are real and I respect the constraint. What if we framed this as something that reduces cost rather than adds it? ROI tools often get through budget freezes."