HOW TO QUALIFY LEADS

If you have a small business, chances are you’ve wasted a lot of time and money chasing unproductive leads or spinning your wheels making cold calls. The solution to this problem, is to establish a system to deliver qualified leads that can be converted into more sales.

Qualifying a lead is like taking a contact through a screening process to determine whether or not the contact has the potential to be your customer. Ask yourself what a qualified lead means to your business. Does it mean the contact is serious and is ready to buy your products or services?

3 Steps to Qualifying Your Leads

First, clearly define your target market. Taking the approach that everyone needs what your business provides is not detailed enough for you to establish your target market. You must segment each market and work to identify their unique needs. Are you targeting small business owners, single mothers, or pastors. Each will require a slightly different marketing approach. By identifying your target audiences, you can focus all your marketing efforts towards the most promising sub-groups.
Next, create a detailed customer profile or buyer persona. The profile highlights characteristics about your ideal customer such as their age group, income, company size, hot buttons, decision making process or lifestyle. A buyer persona is a fictitious character that represents your ideal customer. Give them a first name and create an avatar image.
Using the customer profile of your target market create some qualifying questions to help you determine if they are ready, willing, and able to buy. Asking the right qualifying questions saves everyone time. You know a good prospect when they provide the answers you are looking for.

What need(s) does the prospect have that can be met by your solutions?
Why would the prospect be willing to spend money for your products or services?
Can they afford it?

Create a list of 5-7 questions you can ask your contacts and if they make the grade, categorize them as hot, warm, or cold leads. Concentrate first on hot prospects, and upgrade or downgrade the others as you go through your list.

These are some simple, practical approaches, but they work.

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Tarsha Polk, The Marketing Lady, is a Dallas-based Small Business Consultant, International Speaker, Marketing Strategist and Author. You can connect with Tarsha on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Email or at her office Mon-Fri from 10am-5pm at 972-987-0565.