Being "Qualified" Puts Me On the Defensive...

Want to put a prospect on the defensive?  Ask the following questions too early in an initial call:

“Is this a concrete project?”

“Do you have a budget for this?”

“What is your buying time-frame?”

“Do you have the authority to make the decision?”

I don’t know about you, but when I’m asked these questions in the first few minutes of a call with a prospective vendor (where I am the customer), I’m put off – and put on the defensive.  I grow unwilling to share information, which often forces the vendor into “show-up-and-throw-up” mode.  End result?  I don’t get qualified, Discovery isn’t done, and although I may continue to show some interest, a sale is unlikely to occur.  I’m another candidate for “No Decision”.

Try easing me into the process – ask me what I’d like to accomplish in the call (very rarely do I hear this from a vendor, amazingly enough).  As me a bit about my general situation to get a conversation started.  Ask me a bit about myself, for example (people love to talk about themselves).  Ease into asking me about my challenges and problems – why did I ask to see a demo, for example?  What specific problems am I dealing with?  Ask me some ranging questions to begin to build an understanding of the value of making a change, for me. 

In return, you might tell me how some other customers, in similar situations to what I’ve described so far, have addressed their challenges – and what gains they’ve enjoyed as a result.  Now you might ask me if we should set up a second conversation to explore my situation more fully.  If I respond, “Yes, that’s sounds good…”, then now you can explore some of the qualification questions you’ve been dying to ask:

“Is this a concrete project?”

“Do you have a budget for this?”

“What is your buying time-frame?”

“Do you have the authority to make the decision?”

Why now?  Because since you’ve invested enough time with me asking intelligent questions, listening carefully, and offering intriguing insights, now I’ll be comfortable to answer your qualification questions honestly and without guile.  You’ve earned enough of my trust that I’m willing to share this information with you.