How to Disqualify Prospects & Clients | Sales Prospecting Skills Training

Ever watch David Letterman dismiss a guest on his show? He simply stands up, looks at the guest in the eye, shakes his hand and says, “Thanks for stopping by; good luck with your new movie.”

Firing Clients

You may have many clients who are really unqualified to do business with you. Clients who don’t pay the bills on time, who require more service than they pay for, and who irritate you and your staff.

If you fire the client, you stand the chance of antagonizing him. If your client leaves angry, he will tell many other people in your community. Why not arrange for your unqualified client to meet with another professional who can serve the client’s needs well? Once you have made the introductions and explained the benefits of these two working together, stand up, look the former client in the eye, shake her hand and say, “Thanks for being my client, good luck with Bob. I know he will really take care of you.”

Networking

The same situation holds true when you are networking at a business mixer or trade show. You can waste a lot of time chatting with unqualified prospects. In fact, the more unqualified the prospect is, the more he seems to linger around you. So what do you do?

First, make it a rule to not give any unqualified prospect more than two minutes of your time at a networking event or trade show. Second, say, “Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoy the evening.” Third, turn and move on to the next person in line, or step across the room and “capture” a more qualified looking person.

Conclusion

Using a series of qualifying questions will enable you to determine quickly if this person is qualified to do business with you. Many people you meet will not be. Use the David Letterman dismissal and invest your time with prospects who are qualified.