Effective marketing requires mastering 7 steps.
The first step is Prospecting.
The second is the Sales Process.
In this article, we're focusing on taking that a step further with qualifying.
Qualifying is the step by which we determine if a prospect is the sort of person/business we want to try selling our product/service to.
This is all based upon the definition of our ideal customer.
Obviously, the more prospects we talk to who fit the criteria of ideal customer, the better our sales conversions will be.
So! How does one actually go about effectively qualifying a lead? Contrary to popular opinion, effective qualifying of prospects isn't really all that hard.
We make it easier for you to master the art of lead qualification thanks to our: Top Tips for Effective Qualifying It's really not at all difficult to effectively qualify your leads.
Here's what we recommend you do: * Determine who your ideal customer is: Create a profile of that customer - and be very specific.
Get right down to the nitty gritty details of who that perfect customer is.
We're talking here about the customers you wish all of your customers were like.
Who do you want to do business with the most? These are your ideal customers.
What makes them ideal? Write it all down, because this is what forms the profile of who you will be targeting.
* Have your qualifying criteria with you at all times: Have this criteria list on you when you are going over your list of leads.
Obviously, to get the most out of your sales process preparation, you'll be researching your prospects.
Determine at this point if they fit the criteria of your ideal customer.
If they do, you will end up talking to them as outlined in the last email focusing on the sales process.
Your objective is to ensure that your leads are in fact qualified as ideal customers before you go to the trouble of organizing a meeting with them.
Through effective qualifying, you are saving yourself so much time because you will only pursue prospects who fit the criteria of your preferred customer.
So many businesses end up with customers who are time wasters - the sorts of customers who demand a great deal of time and effort.
They're just not worth the trouble and demand far more than they end up paying the company for.
And if you're a small business owner, they're the sorts of customers you just don't want! We end up with these sorts of customers if we pursue prospects without effectively qualifying them.
By determining who your ideal customers are and ensuring only the prospects meeting that criteria make it through to your final list of prospects, you'll not only save time and attract quality customers - you'll increase your sales.
Prospects who fall into the category of "ideal customer" are more likely to do business with you - and that's why your sales will go up! So it definitely pays to take the time to prospect and expand upon that with effective qualification.
Take the time to determine your who you wish to have as a customer and create the criteria of ideal customer.
It's well worth it for sure! Be on the look out for our next step in the sales process where we will talk in greater detail about presenting the sale.
How is it done for maximum results? We'll share our top tips for presenting the sale in our next chapter - so don't miss it!