Think about times when you have prospects calling your office. Maybe they're returning one of your phone calls; maybe they remembered meeting you at a networking event and wanted to reach out; maybe they are even calling you based on a referral they received from a mutual contact.
That's all great, but can you tell based on the incoming call whether they're a qualified prospect—or not?
Of course not! The phone rings the same for someone who will never do business with you as it does for someone who is a well-qualified prospect for your business.
But many businesses fail to screen calls properly to identify who will or will not be a qualified prospect. That leads to the sales team (and maybe even you!) chasing down leads who seem interested but ultimately will end up being a waste of your time.
The person who just wants an estimate so they can collect the five estimates they need has exactly the same ring on your phone as the person who's calling as a referral and doesn't want to spend time on anyone else.
When you or someone else in your organization answers the phone to speak to a prospect, that should already start the process of qualifying or disqualifying that prospect.
And if your organization is like most, you have someone who often answers the phone and transfers important calls to you. Maybe you have a receptionist, or an office manager, or someone in a different position receiving incoming calls.
Regardless of their job title, help that person identify characteristics of someone who will or will not be a good fit to do business with you. You want to get everyone else in your organization who has contact with prospects into the mindset of "sort vs. sell." Before you spend time trying to sell to someone, you'll need to know whether they're even someone who is willing and able to buy from you.
Have conversations with your other team members about what makes for a good prospect and what might indicate that someone isn't a good fit for you. You can save yourself a lot of time that way.
