Your goal in professional selling is straightforward: determine the customer's needs, offer solutions, and successfully conclude the transaction as soon as possible. This necessitates qualifying prospects. Here are seven reasons why it is essential to qualify your customers:
- Qualifying determines wants, needs, and desires. Once you discover there is a distinct need that can be fulfilled by your product or service, take steps toward committing time and energy.
- Qualifying provides you with the prospect's financial status. If you find that there is a need, your next priority is to determine whether the prospect has adequate funds available to fill it.
- Qualifying provides you with the prospect's financial parameters. In order to develop an appropriate solution to a problem, you need to have an idea of the prospect's budget. If you present a $1,000 solution to a $10,000 need, you'll only frustrate the prospect and lose the sale.
- Qualifying determines all parties involved in the decision. There's nothing more frustrating than knocking off somebody's socks with a dynamic presentation only to find out that the sale is contingent on someone else.
- Qualifying determines the time frame. It's essential that you know when the prospect is willing to take advantage of your offer - whether it's today, next week, next month, or next year.
- Qualifying reveals the competition. When you qualify, you find out who your competitors are.
- Qualifying helps eliminate objections before they appear. If you question skillfully and listen attentively, prospective purchasers will tell you everything you need to know to help them with their buying decisions.
