- Qualifying means deciding where to invest your time. Not every enquiry deserves a proposal.
- Four questions clarify a deal: problem, urgency, decision and fit.
- You only learn who really decides if you ask directly.
- An honest no at the start is better than a proposal that never gets an answer.
- Good questions are not an interrogation. They show the client you understand their problem.
Why do so many deals fail at qualification?
Because they are never qualified. An enquiry comes in, the first meeting is pleasant, and the proposal is quickly promised. Especially when the pipeline is thin, saying yes feels easier than asking one question too many.
The consequences come later: the proposal sits there, the client goes quiet, or uses it as a benchmark for another provider. What ends in a stall often started at qualification.
Which questions tell you whether a deal fits?
Four questions are enough for a first decision. You don't ask them as a list, but in the flow of the conversation:
«What happens if you don't change anything?»
«Why now?»
«Who else is involved in the decision, and how does a decision like this usually work for you?»
«How would you know a year from now that it was worth it?»
If one of the answers stays vague, that is no reason to give up. But it is a reason to hold the proposal until it becomes clearer.
How do you find out who really decides?
By asking. The title on the business card says little about who signs in the end, who releases the budget and who has a veto. In companies with several members of management, there are often more people involved than your contact mentions at first.
Offer to involve the others: «Would it help if I went through the approach once with everyone involved?» If your contact doesn't want that, that is information too. They may have less influence than they show.
When do you say no to a deal?
When several of these signs come together:
- There is no problem that really concerns anyone.
- There is no point by which a decision has to be made.
- You get no access to the people who decide.
- The enquiry sounds like a comparison quote whose winner is already decided.
- The job doesn't fit what you do best.
A reasoned no costs you a possible deal. It gives you time for the clients who really want to work with you, and often respect too. When you can say no, your yes carries weight.
How do you qualify without interrogating?
Say why you are asking: «I only want to send you a proposal if it really fits. May I ask a few questions about that?» Most clients appreciate it. They notice that you take their time seriously.
Then listen, longer than you speak. And share your view, even when it is uncomfortable. Good qualification is already part of the advice. The client should leave the conversation wiser, even if you don't end up working together.
A deal has stalled? Bring it along.
20 minutes, specific and free. We look at what will trigger the next step.