Beating the Competition
Read ArticleEliminate Your Competition Early
Change is hard and inertia kills deals. Surface your prospect's pain early and challenge them politely so 'we'll stay put' doesn't sink the sale.
Topic
Qualifying Opportunities
Find pain, money, authority, urgency, and the decision process before chasing a deal.
24 articles
Qualifying Opportunities articles
Qualifying Opportunities
Read Article“Can We See a Demo?”
A demo request doesn't mean a qualified prospect. Qualify pain, budget, and decision process first, and ask three questions first so the demo closes business.
Qualifying Opportunities
Read ArticleBreak the Rules & Win More Bids
RFP buyers control the process. Qualify hard before responding, then use re-direct or time trade-off tactics to win on margin, not low price.
Qualifying Opportunities
Read ArticlePresenting Your Solutions
Don't present until you've finished qualifying. Understand the prospect's pains, budget, and decision process first, then test for progress throughout.
Handling Objections
Read ArticleClearing the Objection Minefield
Don't ignore the landmines. Surface likely objections like price or decision-maker access early with a 'my biggest concern' question before they sink the deal.
Qualifying Opportunities
Read ArticleImproving Your Closing Average
Most forecasted sales never close. Improve your closing average with better qualifying, and rate every prospect honestly before you write a proposal.
Questions & Listening
Read ArticleControlling the Sales Interview
Whoever asks the questions controls the call. Use rewarding and refocusing to answer a question with your own and keep the prospect talking 70% of the time.
Prospecting & Pipeline
Read ArticleGetting Access to the Decision Maker
Failure to reach the final decision maker can cut your closing rate in half. Here are tactics to get in front of the person who can actually say yes.
Qualifying Opportunities
Read ArticleUnderstanding the Decision Process
After qualifying for pain and money, map the prospect's decision process: the players, timetable, criteria, and roadblocks before you propose.
Qualifying Opportunities
Read ArticleDiscussing Money
Money is part of the qualifying puzzle. Use these questions to uncover budget and the cost of the pain before you present your solution.
Qualifying Opportunities
Read ArticleThe Pain Conversation
The best investigators are the best closers. Use a sequence of pain questions to take a prospect from the big picture to the emotional cost of the problem.
Buyer Psychology
Read ArticleWhat Motivates Your Prospect to Buy?
Buyers act to resolve pain, achieve gain, or avoid fear. No personal, important-enough motivation means no real prospect.
Qualifying Opportunities
Read ArticleThe Qualified Prospect
A prospect has pain, resources, and authority - a suspect just looks the part. The only way to tell them apart is to ask questions, not assume.
Prospecting & Pipeline
Read ArticleCold Calls
Cold calling works when your message connects to a problem, not a pitch. Get permission, lead with a problem they feel, and test for pain instead of pitching.
Prospecting & Pipeline
Read Article20 Second Commercials / Elevator Speeches
Introduce yourself by the problems you solve, not platitudes about your company, and test for pain to spot real prospects fast.
Prospecting & Pipeline
Read ArticleYour Ideal Prospect
Prospecting is a discarding activity. Define your ideal prospect by company, pains, mindset, and budget so you and your referral sources stop guessing.
The Sales Process
Read ArticleDebriefing Your Sales Calls
Top salespeople debrief every call like a football team reviews game film. Here's a checklist of what to review to win the next opportunity.
Sales Mindset
Read ArticleMaking the Most of Your Time
Wasted hours are wasted income. Spot your biggest time-wasters, work from written goals, and spend your day on high-payoff activities.
Trust & Rapport
Read ArticleCreate the Atmosphere
Create an atmosphere where prospects feel safe sharing their pain, instead of using aggressive tactics that destroy rapport and kill sales.
Qualifying Opportunities
Read ArticleThe Prospect’s First Test
Not every prospect is worth your time. Five quick qualifying questions flag the bad ones early so you can disengage and invest where it actually pays off.
Qualifying Opportunities
Read ArticleShow Me the Money
Money gets discussed superficially because of fear and self-limiting beliefs. Set a trap so budget becomes part of the conversation before you propose.
Qualifying Opportunities
Read ArticleThe Qualification Trifecta
Prospects buy to fix pain, ease fear, or satisfy interest, and they spend the most on pain. Qualify which one you're facing before you invest your time.
Sales Mindset
Read ArticleRather Make a Friend Than Make a Sale?
The need for approval - wanting to be liked more than wanting to close - quietly kills sales. Here's how to spot it and ask the tough questions anyway.
Qualifying Opportunities
Read ArticleColumn Filler
When you suspect you're just column filler padding a competitor's bid, say so and ask whether you have a chance before wasting hours on unpaid consulting.