Sales Efficiency: Qualifying Leads and Understanding Urgency

I'm going to show you how to qualify a lead in the first three minutes without sounding like you're interviewing them. Ready? First, you ask about their current state, not their goals. What are you using right now for this, or how are you handling this today? Their answer tells you if they have a process, a competitor, or nothing at all. Second, you ask what's broken about it. Don't ask if something's broken, ask what. What's not working about that setup? If they say nothing, really, you're talking to someone with no pain. Disqualify and move on. Third, you ask what happens if it stays broken. If this continues for another six months, what does that cost you? If they can't answer, there's no urgency. If they give you a number, you've got a real lead. Three questions. Three minutes. This way you know if this is worth your time before you've pitched a single thing.