It’s generally better to qualify a prospect or lead first before giving them a product demo or pitch. This allows you to determine if the prospect is a good fit for your product or service and if they have the potential to become a customer.
Qualifying a lead typically involves gathering information about their needs, budget, timeline, and decision-making process. Once you have this information, you can use it to determine whether your product or service is a good fit for their needs and whether it’s worth investing time and resources in a demo or pitch.
If the prospect meets your criteria and appears to be a good fit, then you can proceed with a product demo or pitch. This will give you the opportunity to showcase the benefits and features of your product or service and explain how it can meet the prospect’s needs.
However, if the prospect doesn’t meet your criteria or appears to be a poor fit for your product or service, then it may be best to move on and focus your efforts on other leads who are more likely to become customers.
Navigating a difficult / arrogant prospect
Here are some phrases you can use to encourage the prospect to share more information and engage in a conversation about their needs, even when they are focused on seeing a demo:
- “Before we jump into the demo, I’d love to hear more about your current situation and what you’re hoping to achieve with our product. Can you tell me a bit more about that?”
- “I completely understand you’re excited to see our product, but understanding your needs will help us customize the demo to your specific situation. Can you share some more information about your company’s goals?”
- “I’d love to give you a demo that’s tailored to your specific needs. Can you tell me more about your current workflow and what challenges you’re currently facing?”
- “We can definitely show you how our product works, but it would be really helpful to understand more about your company and what you’re looking for. Can you share some details about your current process and pain points?”
- “I’m happy to give you a demo, but before we get started, could you give me some more context about your role and how our product would fit into your workflow?”
- “I want to make sure our demo is as useful as possible for you. Can you give me some more information about your decision-making process and what criteria you’re using to evaluate solutions like ours?”
- “I’m glad you’re interested in our product, but to make sure it’s the right fit for you, I’d love to hear more about your business and the challenges you’re facing. Can you share some more information about that?”
Does the lead qualification happen before or after the discovery call?
During a discovery call, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about the lead’s needs and how your product or service can help solve their problems. However, if the lead doesn’t meet your qualification criteria, it may not be worth investing the time and resources into a discovery call.
By qualifying leads before the discovery call, you can ensure that you’re focusing your efforts on those who are more likely to become customers, and that you’re not wasting time on leads that aren’t a good fit for your product or service.
When a cold lead asks why you’re calling and what you have to offer, it’s important to start by providing a brief introduction and explanation of what your company does, but also to quickly pivot to asking some qualifying questions. Here’s an example of how you could respond:
“Hi, my name is [Your Name] and I’m calling from [Your Company]. We specialize in [Your Product/Service] and I wanted to see if you might be interested in learning more. But before I jump into details, could you tell me a bit more about your current process and the challenges you’re facing in your industry? This will help me better understand if we might be a good fit for your needs.”
By starting with a brief introduction and explanation of what your company does, you acknowledge the reason for your call and help the prospect understand why you’re reaching out. However, by quickly pivoting to asking some qualifying questions, you demonstrate that you’re interested in understanding their needs and challenges, rather than just pitching your product/service.
Cold calling rules
The 3×3 Rule by Trish Bertuzzi: Trish Bertuzzi, author of “The Sales Development Playbook,” recommends the 3×3 rule for cold calling. This involves making three calls to the same prospect over three days, leaving a different voicemail message each time. The first message is an introduction and a reason for calling, the second is a reminder of the first message and a new value proposition, and the third is a final reminder and a call-to-action.
The “Hook, Line, and Sinker” Method by John Barrows: John Barrows, sales trainer and consultant, recommends the “hook, line, and sinker” method for cold calling. The hook is a strong opening statement that grabs the prospect’s attention, the line is a brief explanation of what you do and why you’re calling, and the sinker is a question that engages the prospect in a conversation.
Here are some cold calling tips shared by sales experts in their interviews:
“The goal of the first call should not be to sell, but to get the prospect to engage in a conversation with you.” – Jeb Blount
“Before you make a cold call, make sure you have a clear understanding of your target market and your ideal customer profile.” – Jill Konrath
“Be confident and enthusiastic when making your cold call. People can hear your smile through the phone.” – John Barrows
The paradox
The fundamental challenge you have to solve is that lead or prospect wants to know what I have to offer, the demo, etc, and on the other hand you want to ask him questions, engage him in conversations, qualify, etc.
How to deal with this paradox?
The key to resolving this paradox is to balance the prospect’s desire to learn about your product or service with your need to gather information and qualify them as a potential customer. Here are a few strategies that can help:
- it’s important to acknowledge that interest and let them know that you understand why they’re curious. You might say something like, “I appreciate your enthusiasm for our product, and I’d be happy to show you how it works. But before we dive into the demo, I’d like to ask you a few questions to make sure that it’s a good fit for your needs.”
- Provide a high-level overview: Instead of launching directly into a full product demo, you might consider giving the prospect a brief overview of what your product or service does and how it can benefit them. This can help establish context and give them a sense of why they should be interested, without overwhelming them with too much information too quickly.
- Ask open-ended questions: One way to engage the prospect in conversation and gather information is to ask open-ended questions that encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings. For example, you might ask, “Can you tell me more about your current process for [specific task]?” or “What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in [specific area]?”
Here are some examples of how sales experts have given a high-level overview and then pivoted to asking questions:
“I help businesses like yours improve their workflow and productivity. One of the ways we do that is by providing a powerful software solution that automates many of the tedious manual tasks you may be facing. But before I jump into the specifics of our software, I’d love to learn more about your current workflow and the challenges you’re facing. Would you mind sharing a bit about that?”
“We offer a revolutionary project management tool that is designed to help teams work more efficiently and collaboratively than ever before. Our software uses cutting-edge AI technology to automate many of the tedious tasks associated with project management, freeing up your team to focus on what really matters. But before we dive into the details, I’d love to learn more about your team’s current workflow and any pain points you’re experiencing. Can you tell me a bit about that?”
“Our platform provides comprehensive analytics and reporting for businesses looking to improve their online presence. With real-time insights and easy-to-use tools, you’ll be able to make data-driven decisions that help you reach your goals faster. But before we go any further, I’d love to hear more about your current digital marketing efforts and the challenges you’re facing. Would you mind sharing a bit about that?”
“Our software is designed to help businesses streamline their HR processes and improve employee engagement. With powerful features like automated onboarding, performance tracking, and feedback tools, you’ll be able to create a more productive and motivated workforce. But before we get into the details, I’d love to learn more about your current HR practices and any pain points you’re experiencing. Can you tell me a bit about that?”
What to do after the discovery call?
Here are a few examples of emails you could send after a discovery call:
Example 1: Confirming Next Steps
Subject: Recap of our call and next steps
Dear [Prospect],
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I enjoyed our conversation and learning more about your business.
As we discussed, I wanted to confirm the next steps. Based on our conversation, I believe our [product/service] would be a great fit for your needs.
The next step in our process is to schedule a demo, which will give you a better sense of how our solution can help you achieve your goals. I’m available next [day/date/time] to walk you through the platform and answer any questions you may have.
Please let me know if that works for you, and if there’s anything else I can provide in the meantime.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Example 2: Providing Additional Information
Subject: Resources to Help You Make an Informed Decision
Dear [Prospect],
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. It was great learning more about your business and discussing your needs.
Based on our conversation, I believe our [product/service] could be a great fit for your needs. To help you make an informed decision, I wanted to share some additional resources:
- [Case study or white paper]: This highlights how our solution has helped other businesses in similar situations to yours.
- [Demo video or tutorial]: This will give you a better sense of how our platform works and what it can do.
- [Pricing sheet]: This outlines our different pricing tiers and what’s included in each.
Please take some time to review these materials and let me know if you have any questions or would like to schedule another call to discuss further.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Example 3: Thank You Note
Subject: Thank You for Your Time
Dear [Prospect],
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for speaking with me today. I appreciate you taking the time to learn more about our [product/service] and how it can help your business.
I hope you found our conversation informative, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like to learn more.
Best regards,
[Your Name]