Sales Leads & Top 10 Qualifying Questions to Close Sales

Article submitted by: Jay Lipe, CEO

What percent of sales leads are sales ready?

Top 10 Qualifying Questions to Close Sales Faster

Many times, we're seated across from a hot prospect knowing we're just a hop, skip and a jump from a sale, yet we flounder. Why is this? Part of the reason might be that were not asking the right qualifying questions to bring the prospect to a sale.

Here are ten of the most powerful qualifying questions:

1. Which specific need(s) do you have that our product/service addresses?
   
2. How will our product or service make your life better?
   
3. How much have you budgeted for this purchase?
   
4. When do you plan to purchase a product or service like ours?
   
5. Who all will be involved in the purchase decision?
   
6. Which other products or services are you looking at?
   
7. Which ones do you favor?
   
8. Why do you favor them?
   
9. Who has the budget or spending authority to implement the decision?
   
10. Which decision makers have your salespeople called on?

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Jay Lipe is the president of Emerge Marketing LLC, a firm that helps growing companies focus their marketing. He is the author of the books The Marketing Toolkit for Growing Businesses (Chammerson Press, 2002) and Stand Out from the Crowd: Secrets to Crafting a Winning Company Identity (Kaplan Publishing, Fall 2006). He is also a sought after speaker and seminar leader, and can be reached at 612.824.4833, through his Smart Marketing blog or through his website. Hear a podcast interview with Jay discussing Small Business Marketing.