If you’re in sales, then you know that the process of qualifying a lead is essential to your success. After all, you can’t close a deal with just anyone. You need to make sure that they’re actually interested in what you have to offer. But how can you tell if a lead is qualified?
At its most basic, qualifying a lead simply means determining whether or not they are a good fit for your product or service. To do this, you need to ask the right questions. In this blog post, we’ll go over some of the essential lead-qualifying questions that you should be asking.
the essential lead-qualifying questions
1. What are their needs?
Needs will vary from lead to lead, so it’s important that you take the time to understand what each of your leads is looking for. Do they need something that fulfills a specific requirement? Do they need a solution that is easy to use? By understanding their needs, you can ensure that they are getting exactly what they want from your product or service.
If you can’t provide what the lead is looking for, then you should politely explain or refer them to someone who can. Don’t do a disservice to yourself and your lead by dragging the conversation on. Remember, if you try to serve everyone, you’ll end up serving no one.
2. What is their budget?
One of the first things that you need to determine when qualifying a lead is their budget. After all, there’s no point in trying to sell someone on your luxury product if they can’t afford it. Asking about budget also allows you to position your products or services accordingly. For example, if someone has a limited budget, you may want to suggest your more affordable options.
If the lead is hesitant to share their budget with you, there are a few ways to get around it. You could ask them how much they’re willing to spend, or you could try to ballpark it based on their industry or company size.
3. Who is the decision-maker?
In order to close a deal, you need to talk to the right person – the decision-maker. Knowing this will allow you to identify and anticipate their motivations and interests more easily. Additionally, you can also anticipate potential roadblocks to the desired outcome and take a proactive approach to address them even before your lead thinks about it.
The decision-maker could be the business owner, the CFO, the sales and marketing manager, or even the head of HR. Whoever it is, make sure that you identify them early on in the process so that you can ensure that your sales pitch is tailored specifically for them.
4. When do they need it?
Another important question to ask when qualifying a lead is what their timeline is for the project. This will help you determine if they’re actually ready to make a purchase, or if they’re just starting to do research.
If the lead is still in the early stages of their research, they may not be ready to buy yet. In this case, you could try to nurture them with additional information or resources. For others, there may be a sense of urgency surrounding a lead’s purchase. If this is the case, then it’s important to find out as soon as possible so that you can adjust your sales strategy accordingly.
Ways to ask these qualifying questions
Now that you know what to ask, how should you go about asking these questions? Here are a few ways along with their respective pros and cons:
Lead capture form
Lead capture form can be a great way to ask qualifying questions on top of the general information needed to identify leads, such as their name, email address, and what type of product or service they are interested in. However, some leads may be hesitant to provide sensitive information like budget and timeline on a form, especially if they are not familiar with your company or are still unsure themselves.
Email is a quick and easy way to ask qualifying questions. You can easily send out a survey or questionnaire to your leads, and they can respond without having to talk to anyone on the phone. However, email can appear to be impersonal, and some leads may not want to take the time to fill out a questionnaire.
Phone call
Phone call is a personal way to talk to your leads. You are able to not only ask them qualifying questions but also probe further to better understand their needs and start building a good customer relationship. However, phone calls can be time-consuming, and not everyone will want to speak with you on the phone.
Chatbot
Chatbot is a new way of asking qualifying questions. It allows you to qualify your leads at any time of the day, without having to manually ask these questions. Better yet, it can be designed to imitate a natural conversational flow. Essentially, your lead will be able to experience the personalisation of a phone conversation, at a time that they are most interested and available to chat, but without the awkwardness of a phone call.
Conclusion
Qualifying leads is an essential part of the sales process, but it can be difficult to know where to start. Ask these 4 questions to get a better sense of whether or not a lead is qualified and what needs they have. This will allow you to tailor your sales pitch and improve your chances of closing the deal.
Whichever way you choose to communicate and qualify your leads, we’re here to support you. Book a free 1-on-1 consultation today to ensure that your team is only pursuing leads who are actually interested in what you’re selling, and who are likely to make a purchase . . . which means more sales and more revenue for the business, and less time wasted!
