It came up in conversation the other day – the question about how you qualify your prospects. And since not everyone in the room knew what that meant, I’ll explain briefly here for those reading: To qualify is to make sure a prospect actually fits in your target market, and has a need that you can fill with what you offer.
Usually, when the sales gurus talk about qualifying, they mean that you should be asking the right set of questions to determine whether the person in front of you is a legitimate prospect.
But what about your website? You can’t be there 24/7, so your content has to serve in your qualifying capacity, right?
Well, the “Aha moment” I had about websites is that web surfers – unlike the people you meet face-to-face – are waaaay more willing to meet you halfway.
After all, if they’re online, they’re searching for information. They have something specific in mind, and they want to know whether you can meet their needs. In other words, your online prospects are actively trying to qualify themselves for you.
Web searchers don’t want to be wasting their time when they’re on the prowl for a solution. They’re actively trying to figure out whether they belong in your market. And that’s huge! They’re making it so much easier on you than if you were speaking to them in person, sending direct mail, et cetera, et cetera.
And if you don’t have a website already? Oh boy, are you missing out. Earlier this year, we wanted to paint our new office, and Lani went online to find a local painter. She said, “I’ll give my business to the first Lakes Region painter I can find online.”
She couldn’t find a single one, so we painted the office ourselves. My brother-in-law nearly fell 15 feet off a ladder during the process, but that’s another story.
Please, please, if you’re not online, then get there as fast as you can, and make sure anyone who reads your website comes away knowing whether they’re supposed to be buying from you. Even if they decide not to, that’s okay – that’s a separate issue. Get ‘em there and get ‘em to qualify themselves first.
