How Leads Are Qualified
You have likely met this type if prospect: all sorts of problems and a willingness to discuss them. You being a good listener take note. You walk away thinking wow what a hot sales lead this is.
Not so fast…Are they motivated to actually do something about their pain? This is how we filter out prospects that are going to live with their pain for many years to come. Most of these prospect would really like to solve their problem but they can’t. They lack internal support, money, knowledge, courage and/or experience. You need to discover whether this prospect is motivated or not (and fast!) or you are in for a long ride to nowhere.
After you present your solution, serve up a brief web presentation and promise to show the client how you will solve their problem. Prompt them to follow you down a path towards a fix and see if they will advance with you. Forward movement in the sales cycle is a key moment in lead qualification, as it shows the prospect is ready to give up something (their time) in exchange for proof that you have what they need. If this sales lead is real then the prospect will follow you to the promised land.
If not, you have a flawed opportunity. It may not quite be a dead lead, but without the motivation to do something about the pain, moving this prospect forward will be a huge challenge at best.