Lead qualification is a key part of lead generation, sales lead nurturing and lead scoring. It allows the buyer and seller to share information. It’s an exchange that lets the other know if there is a fit between the buyer’s needs or wants, and the seller’s solution.
We’ve all heard those awful stories of the seller who bombards the buyer with a tirade of questions, only to exhaust and alienate the buyer and cause them to buy elsewhere. So how do the buyer and seller know if the fit is worth pursuing?
The Lead Qualification Process is an Art
Qualifying sales leads between buyer and seller is an art. Consider the analogy of meeting someone for the first time. Both are interested in pursuing a relationship. When a buyer reaches out, the buyer is trying to determine if pursuing a relationship with the seller is worthwhile. Think of how you would want to be treated if you were the buyer connecting with the seller. Treat your buyer the same way.
Lead Qualification Tips
Here are a few basic pointers to enhance your interaction as sellers with your buyer in the qualification process:
- Treat people like the humans that they are. Humans like to be understood, appreciate being engaged with, heard, respected, captivated and need space and time in their evaluation and decision process. Take the time in this busy world to review whether your phone call, text, email or IM follow these guidelines as you communicate with your buyer.
- Remember to be thoughtful and relevant in your questions. You wouldn’t bombard someone you meet for the first time with every question you wanted to know about. And you certainly wouldn’t want someone to treat you that way. In sales, we do need to develop questions to determine if we can satisfy the needs or wants of the buyer. Subtle balance is critical in finding the answers to qualifying questions throughout your buyer interactions. Be sure your questioning enhances your relationship and brings you closer to helping your client. For example, find out what impact the buyer’s decision to buy or not buy has on their company.
- Listening is more helpful than talking. Be patient and attentive in your listening. As you engage with buyers, listen to their responses. Your buyer’s response may include more helpful information than you asked for, strengthen the process of building your relationship and bring you both closer to a buyer choice and decision. As your buyer is sharing valuable insight, recording and clarifying what you heard is also a respectful part of the process. In building a relationship people feel comfortable when you remember what you told them and use that information to learn more about them and help them.
Qualification is essential to buying and selling. How you do it affects success. Would be interested in knowing what has worked for you.
Qualification brings another topic to mind, customer relationships. Join us next week to find out more.