You’ve made this big mistake. Every salesperson or business owner has. Many without even realizing it.

So hopefully, after you learn about it, you can learn what to do so it almost never happens.

The mistake: following up with leads that will either:

  1. Become customers you can’t wait to get rid of, or
  2. Never close

 

Both situations equate to a lose-lose for you and your client. You get your time wasted and miss out on revenues you could get from better clients. And your client’s never happy with your service.

How can you qualify your leads so you don’t spend months chasing the wrong ones or a year figuring out you have a bad client?

It’s easier than you think. Let me explain what to do:

1. How Much Do They Object?

The best leads require next to no convincing. They already get your value. They have some questions and want to get to know, like, and trust you. You pretty much know you already have the sale made, barring something unforeseen.

That’s a dream lead right there.

If, on the other hand, they object frequently during your conversation, don’t understand, or seem hesitant, they likely won’t be a good prospect or customer. Don’t be afraid to let them go, even if business is slow.

2. What’s the First Question Your Lead Asks?

If the first thing out of their mouth is,”How much do you charge?” they’re price shoppers. You can try convincing them of your value to get past the price barrier.

But most likely, you won’t be successful no matter how good of a salesman you are. Politely part ways with your lead because they want the lowest price possible. Let your competitors deal with them.

3. Do You Have a Qualified List in the First Place?

One of the advantages you have as a smaller business is you don’t need to take on every last prospect to make revenue numbers and keep investors happy. Instead, you can be somewhat selective with your leads and clients.

If you create a list, make sure you qualify your list rigorously first. You should know the exact profile of your target lead, for example. You might target CMOs of mid-sized businesses with revenues of $10 million to $200 million. If a company’s borderline, don’t include them.

4. Did You Account for All Involved Decision Makers?

Remember, no matter the size of the company, there’s likely several people involved in making the decision. Your prospect will have to convince their coworkers, so your solution needs to appeal to them too. They may also have to convince the CEO, directors, and/or VPs.

Once you know who’s involved, you need to gauge the influence of the person you’re talking to. The more influence they have, the better the lead quality. If you don’t think they have the ability to make your offer happen in their business, let them go.

Follow those tips, and you’ll spend more time closing customers and less time chasing leads that’ll never provide your business the value you want.

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