Building Sales Success on the Quiet Strength of Qualification

By Chris Peterson, Founder and President of Vector Firm

Qualifying is the unsung hero of the sales process. It’s not flashy, it’s not glamorous, and it doesn’t get the same attention as proposal presentations or closing opportunities. But if you don’t qualify properly, you’re setting yourself up for wasted time, frustration, and a lower closing ratio.

At its core, qualifying is about asking the right questions, at the right time, to determine whether a prospect is worth pursuing. It’s also about leading a conversation in such a compelling way that your customer or prospect wants to work with you. Done correctly, qualifying forms the foundation of a successful sales process. Without it, you’re just throwing darts in the dark.

So, what does qualifying really mean? It’s about understanding whether an account has the desire, budget, and timeline to buy what you’re selling. It’s about identifying if they’re a good fit for your solution—and just as importantly, whether you’re a good fit for them. Great sales professionals use qualification not only to determine fit, but also to uncover valuable information that helps them win.

But how do they do this? What questions do they ask? When and how do they ask them? Below are the five topics you should cover in your qualification meetings,\ in the order they must be addressed.

Understand Their Problems

The first step in qualifying is to dig deep into the application—why they asked you to meet in the first place. Don’t just let them tell you what they need; go further to uncover the root of their problems.

For example, if a prospect says they need new cameras on their perimeter, don’t stop there. Ask why they believe they need new cameras. What problems are they experiencing? How is it impacting their business? What are the consequences for the individuals involved in the decision? The more you understand their situation and challenge their assumptions, the better positioned you’ll be to design the right solution—and earn the credibility to guide them through the rest of the buying process.

Identify the Decision-Making Process

This is where many salespeople drop the ball. After hearing the application, they get so focused on pitching their solution that they forget to ask about other critical factors. Hold off on presenting your solution. First, investigate the decision-making process.

It’s as simple as asking:
What are the steps in your decision-making process?
When do you think you’ll decide?
When is the next step?
Who is involved in the decision?

Knowing the steps gives you credibility and equips you to have better conversations. Instead of vaguely asking, “So, how’s the project going?” you’ll be able to reference specific milestones and show you understand their internal process.

Understand the Budget

This one is always tough. In today’s more conflict-free business environment, it can feel even harder to bring up directly. But the best sales professionals always know the budget.

THE STRATEGY:  ASK “WHEN,” NOT “WHAT.” THIS MAKES THE QUESTION LESS THREATENING.

For example, ask, “when will you be finalizing the budget?” By framing it this way, you raise the topic naturally and can then move toward deeper budget discussions in a more comfortable, conversational tone.

Evaluate the Competition

Here, we take the opposite approach—ask directly. “Who else is competing on this project?”

Regardless of the answer, stay calm and appear indifferent. As the subject matter expert, you’re not worried about who else is in the mix—you just want to ensure you’re comparing apples to apples.

If they say there’s no competition, simply respond, “Okay,” and move on. If you act surprised, they may think they should bring in competition.

Ask About the Decision-Making Criteria

Finally, uncover what matters most to your prospect. Is it price, quality, speed of implementation, or ongoing support? Everyone has different priorities, and if you don’t know what they are, you’re aiming blind.

Ask questions like:

“What’s most important to you in a solution like this?”

“If you had to rank your priorities, what would be at the top of the list?”

“In a year after this project is completed, what would need to happen for you to consider it a huge success?”

These questions not only reveal priorities but also help prospects picture their own success—with you guiding them toward it.