Everything starts off well; the key decision-makers are enthusiastic about your solution, and they’ve managed to convince the Board of its USP and value. Even better? It fits perfectly within their timescale. But then, an all-too-common problem: their budget has just been slashed, and with it, all hopes of proceeding with the purchase.

Sound familiar?

The Importance of Continuous Qualification

Coach staff to revisit the sales qualification process on a regular basis (at least once a month) with the opportunities they’re pursuing. Sudden changes can make a big difference for a lead’s viability, and your sales team needs to stay on top of their prospects so they can adjust their efforts accordingly when a red flag comes into view.

My Lead Has Become Unqualified – Now What?

Contrary to popular perception, this isn’t always a bad thing. Revisiting the sales qualification process should generate new questions each time, and the answers will lead to new information that can accelerate sales or reinvigorate stalled situations.

When staff go through the S.C.O.T.S.M.A.N. technique and an opportunity becomes unqualified, this update can help them reallocate their time and focus for maximum return. Very successful salespeople tend to ignore and abandon unqualified leads – this can be the best strategy so long as there are other, potentially more fruitful opportunities in the pipeline. But remember not to burn bridges, and to revisit even the most unlikely leads at some point down the road; things can change quickly in sales, so keep going back even if it is just a simple contact via email. Many unqualified opportunities have turned back into fruitful opportunities. Play your cards right and you’ll be at the front of the line to benefit.

Remember the S.C.O.T.S.M.A.N.

At the end of the day, remember the S.C.O.T.S.M.A.N. system; depending on which qualifying criterion is falling short, it might be worth picking up the lead again to turn its potential around.

If the customer is likely to benefit from your product or service, but they seem to be losing interest, that’s a very different kind of qualification issue than if they’ve lost their budget or have become involved in a competitive evaluation that seems more suitable. In one case, being persistent could still pay off; in the latter, it’s likely to be a fruitless pursuit. Either way, the S.C.O.T.S.M.A.N. approach can help staff tell the difference before it’s too late. S.C.O.T.S.M.A.N. helps to avoid the very worst case scenario; going all the way through an intensive sales process, right to the final selection from the last two vendors, and then losing.

Increasing the effectiveness of your sales team doesn’t necessitate a major re-orgnaisation or process change project. Just look at where staff are wasting the most time and energy, and give them the tools to better identify where they should be investing those resources.

Measure. Evaluate. Take action. Revisit. Repeat. Five steps to maximising opportunities and minimising wasted time.