We just completed a budget cycle — nothing new can be approved until Q1.

"Is this a hard calendar gate or a soft one? Sometimes there's room in an existing budget line if we position it correctly."

"We can scope a smaller starting point that fits within your current budget and expands in Q1 when the new cycle opens. Would that unblock it?"

"Budget cycles are real constraints — but they're also the exact moment when the previous cycle's decisions get evaluated. This might be exactly the right time to start positioning for Q1 allocation."