Signs that indicate if your sales prospecting is working
Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2024 8:14 am
“It’s not what you said, but how you said it.” This phrase is at the root of countless arguments, but it’s as good as gold when it comes to sales qualification.
Your potential client will give you a lot of information through their tone of voice and the way they express themselves.
After learning how to qualify a sales lead , we have a few tips to keep in mind. These can help you determine whether you should move forward or let the lead go as soon as possible.
How to Know if Your Sales Prospect is the Right One
Good signs to move forward
Excuses: Excuses help resolve our actions. During a sales conversation, take heart if the prospect tries to explain away previous inaction regarding their need. This indicates one of two things: either the excuse is legitimate, or the prospect wishes they had done something about it sooner and is trying to rationalize why they didn't. Either way, it training directors email lists confirms that their pain is real.
Specificity: Listen for sequential plans, thoughtful explanations, and statistics. Details also indicate that the lead has a real need. After all, people without real problems don’t spend time thinking about why they exist and how to address them. Of course, the caveat is that details must be accompanied by reality. A prospect who says, “I want to quadruple revenue in the next two weeks,” is using specific data to prove they don’t have solid business acumen.
Knowledge : A knowledge check is your best bet for qualifying a prospect. True decision makers will have intimate knowledge of the company’s goals, challenges, and needs. A contact who doesn’t have access to this information will likely not be valuable in the sales process.
Warning signs… Let it go!
Inconsistency: A prospect whose answers contradict each other is likely wanting to be helpful, but can't because they don't have the right knowledge. However, this isn't a deal breaker - ask them to take you to someone who knows the answers and continue qualifying the opportunity with another contact.
Short Answers : A prospect who is giving you one-word answers is not someone who feels there is a basis for a conversation. It may be that the issue is not a problem or that the contact is not informed enough to sense its severity. Depending on what you think is going on, disqualify them or try reaching out to another member of the organization.
Many salespeople are reluctant to disqualify prospects and narrow down their funnels. Their natural instinct is to try to work through as many leads as possible, but this isn't the best approach. Lead quality is more important than quantity .
As a salesperson, your most valuable asset is your time, and it's much better spent on the best prospects than spreading yourself thin across dozens of potential customers.
Your potential client will give you a lot of information through their tone of voice and the way they express themselves.
After learning how to qualify a sales lead , we have a few tips to keep in mind. These can help you determine whether you should move forward or let the lead go as soon as possible.
How to Know if Your Sales Prospect is the Right One
Good signs to move forward
Excuses: Excuses help resolve our actions. During a sales conversation, take heart if the prospect tries to explain away previous inaction regarding their need. This indicates one of two things: either the excuse is legitimate, or the prospect wishes they had done something about it sooner and is trying to rationalize why they didn't. Either way, it training directors email lists confirms that their pain is real.
Specificity: Listen for sequential plans, thoughtful explanations, and statistics. Details also indicate that the lead has a real need. After all, people without real problems don’t spend time thinking about why they exist and how to address them. Of course, the caveat is that details must be accompanied by reality. A prospect who says, “I want to quadruple revenue in the next two weeks,” is using specific data to prove they don’t have solid business acumen.
Knowledge : A knowledge check is your best bet for qualifying a prospect. True decision makers will have intimate knowledge of the company’s goals, challenges, and needs. A contact who doesn’t have access to this information will likely not be valuable in the sales process.
Warning signs… Let it go!
Inconsistency: A prospect whose answers contradict each other is likely wanting to be helpful, but can't because they don't have the right knowledge. However, this isn't a deal breaker - ask them to take you to someone who knows the answers and continue qualifying the opportunity with another contact.
Short Answers : A prospect who is giving you one-word answers is not someone who feels there is a basis for a conversation. It may be that the issue is not a problem or that the contact is not informed enough to sense its severity. Depending on what you think is going on, disqualify them or try reaching out to another member of the organization.
Many salespeople are reluctant to disqualify prospects and narrow down their funnels. Their natural instinct is to try to work through as many leads as possible, but this isn't the best approach. Lead quality is more important than quantity .
As a salesperson, your most valuable asset is your time, and it's much better spent on the best prospects than spreading yourself thin across dozens of potential customers.