Here are the reasons why it is essential to qualify your buyers before committing any of your valuable time or energy.
1. Qualifying determines wants, needs and desires: Today’s consumers feel many salespeople are insensitive and uncaring. They erroneously believe a salesperson’s top priority is simply making the sale. Period. They do not feel we truly care about providing the right product for their needs.
Qualifying helps both you and the prospect. Qualification is a process of discovery. A major part of your job is to uncover the true agenda, emotional, and otherwise, of the individual or company. Only when you discover there is a distinct need, which can be fulfilled by your product, do you take steps toward committing time and energy.
2. Qualifying provide you with the prospects financial status: If there is a need when can be filled by your product, your next priority is to determine whether the prospect has adequate funds available to take advantage of what you have to offer, If financial resources are not available, then there is no reason to waste your time or theirs.
3. Qualifying provides you with the prospects financial parameters: You don’t want to oversell or undersell the potential customer.
- If you present a $1,000 solution to a $10,000 need, you will frustrate your prospect and loose the sale. If you provide a million dollar solution to a quarter million dollar need, you will frustrate the prospect and loose the sale.
- You qualify based on what is affordable to the need. Only present and demonstrate solutions within the financial parameters that best meet that need.
4. Qualifying determines all parties involved in the decision: There is nothing more frustrating than to knock somebody’s socks of with a dynamic presentation, have a transaction mentally and emotionally wrapped up and then find out that the sales is contingent and someone else-a committee, a partner, a parent. There is a way around this though. Simply make sure that all significant decision makers are present whenever you give your presentation. If all parties are not available for a presentation, reschedule the presentation to a time that better suits everyone’s schedule.
5. Qualifying determines the time frame: It is essential that you know when the prospect is willing to take advantage of your offer. Determine whether he wants to purchase today, next week, a month or a year from now.
6. Qualifying reveals the competition: When you are qualifying, you can find out whether you are competing against others for the business. It allows you to structure your presentation with your competitor’s product, services, and prices in mind.
7. 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. Ask the right questions, and allow the prospect the opportunity to talk about herself and her concerns, and then almost invariably, she will tell you her greatest needs and concerns.
