7 Strategies to Qualify Leads (& Sell to the Right Buyers)

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By Matt Ackerson — Get free updates on new posts here

How to qualify leads is a challenge that keeps business owners up at night. Most companies lose money by talking to the wrong prospects.

Last month, I watched our sales team struggle. They had hundreds of leads coming in. But most of these leads weren't ready to buy.

It made me think of my friend Tom. He runs a software company and was excited about getting lots of new leads. Then he found out barely any of them were turning into customers.

The problem isn't getting more leads. It's finding the right ones.

Here's some good news. MarketingSherpa found that 57% of B2B companies have trouble turning leads into customers. But businesses that use good lead screening methods get much better results.

Companies that know how to spot good leads see 68% better results. That's a big difference.

In this guide, you'll discover:

The proven 4-step framework that top B2B companies use to instantly spot their most profitable leads
A simple video technique that converts 49% more viewers into buyers (even if you're camera shy)
The "transparent pricing" secret that pre-qualifies serious buyers before they ever talk to sales
A customer feedback loop that grew our sales by 71% (and can do the same for you) The industry targeting strategy that doubles your qualification rate while cutting your workload in half

Ready to transform your lead qualification process and focus only on prospects who are eager to buy? Let's dive in...

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Lead Qualifying Strategy #1: Ask Strategic Qualifying Questions

57% of B2B companies say converting qualified leads into paying customers is a top priority according to MarketingSherpa.

And if you want to better qualify your prospects, start by asking them qualifying questions before they can contact your sales team.

This one shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to anyone, right? “If you want to do the thing you want to do, try doing the thing you want to do.”

Duh.

But the truth of the matter is that so many businesses are still just taking any leads they can get, and sift through them by hand later.

The smartest businesses (often with the best sales funnels) on the other hand, include at least basic qualifying questions to filter out the right prospects.

And don’t be afraid to make your qualification questions lengthy (within reason of course).

The more effort a prospect has to put in to start working with you, the more likely they’re going to be to sign on when it comes time to buy or bail at the end of your funnel.

Once you’re onboard the qualifying questions train, it’s time to start asking the right questions to help keep out the riff-raff.

Now, you’ll want to start with the basics, of course. Name, email address, business name, industry, etc.

After that, there are a few different question frameworks to choose from.

The first, known as the BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) qualification framework was actually developed by IBM.

Because it’s short, easy to remember, and gets to the heart of things, BANT is the tried-and-true choice for plenty of businesses out there today.

Alright, let’s break BANT down a bit.

The BANT Framework: Your Essential Qualification Tool

The BANT framework remains one of the most reliable qualification methods, with 67% of successful B2B companies using it as their primary qualification tool according to Gartner's 2023 Sales Performance Study.

Expanded BANT Framework Implementation

Here's a detailed breakdown of effective BANT questions:

Budget Questions:
- What's your allocated budget for this solution?
- How does your organization handle procurement decisions?
- What ROI are you expecting from this investment?
Authority Questions:
- Who else is involved in the decision-making process?
- What's your role in the purchase decision?
- How does your organization typically make decisions about new solutions?
Need Questions:
- What specific challenges are you trying to solve?
- How are you currently handling these challenges?
- What would success look like for you?
Timeline Questions:
- When do you need this solution implemented?
- What's driving your timeline?
- Are there any specific deadlines we should be aware of?

Advanced Qualification Frameworks

While BANT is foundational, modern sales processes often benefit from additional frameworks:

MEDDIC: (Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, Champion)
CHAMP: (Challenges, Authority, Money, Prioritization)
GPCTBA/C&I: (Goals, Plans, Challenges, Timeline, Budget, Authority)

Key Takeaways

Implement a structured qualification framework to increase conversion rates
Use BANT as your foundation but consider incorporating elements from other frameworks
Document your qualification process to maintain consistency across your sales team

Lead Qualifying Strategy #2: Create an Engaging Demo Video

According to Wistia's 2024 State of Video Marketing Report, businesses using demo videos in their lead qualification process see a 49% higher conversion rate compared to those who don't.

A well-made and eye-catching demo video can grow your sales by 30% and is great for a couple of reasons.

Video content has become a crucial tool in lead qualification, with HubSpot reporting that 88% of marketers say video gives them a positive ROI in 2024.[/ADDED]

Creating Effective Demo Videos

Essential elements of high-converting demo videos:

Clear Value Proposition: State benefits within first 30 seconds
Problem-Solution Format: Address specific pain points
Feature Demonstration: Show key functionalities in action
Social Proof: Include customer testimonials
Clear Next Steps: Strong call-to-action

Key Benefits of Demo Videos for Lead Qualification

Let's explore why demo videos are essential for qualifying leads:

Answers Key Questions Upfront: According to Vidyard's 2024 Video Benchmark Report, prospects who watch demo videos are 85% more likely to make an informed purchasing decision.
Builds Trust Through Personality: Video content helps establish credibility and connection, with 64% of prospects more likely to trust a brand after watching their video content.
Drives Engagement: McKinsey's 2024 Digital Marketing Survey shows that websites with demo videos retain visitors 2.6 times longer than those without.

Best Practices for Lead Qualifying Demo Videos

Keep videos concise and focused on solving specific pain points
Include clear calls-to-action that guide qualified leads to the next step
Showcase real results and customer success stories
Optimize for mobile viewing experience

Key Takeaways

Implement demo videos as a core component of your lead qualification strategy
Focus on addressing key prospect pain points and questions in your videos
Use video analytics to track engagement and refine your qualification process

Lead Qualifying Strategy #3: Build Strategic FAQ Sections

Piggybacking along with the last tip, one of the best ways to qualify leads is by answering all of their questions before you send them over to sales.

And the most efficient way of doing that is by popping in a frequently asked question section.

FAQs are perfect for getting a little more into the weeds and answering common concerns about your service quickly.

How will I be charged? BAM! It’s in the FAQs...

How do I turn on a specific feature? POW! Right in the FAQs, baby...

Does your company have a return policy? KABLAAM! Question #4 in the FAQs...

No need to get sales involved and no need to waste their time answering questions.

The trick, however, is knowing how to write not only a FAQs section that answers questions, but that also helps sell your product along the way.

FAQ Writing Guidelines for Lead Qualification

Structure your FAQs in these key categories:

Product/Service Fit Questions:
- What types of businesses benefit most from your solution?
- What are the minimum requirements to use your service?
- How long does implementation typically take?
Budget and Pricing Questions:
- What's your pricing structure?
- Are there any additional costs?
- Do you offer payment plans?
Technical Requirements:
- What systems do I need to have in place?
- Is technical expertise required?
- What support do you provide?

Here are a few FAQs tips that will help grow your sales along the way as well.

Key Takeaways

Develop comprehensive FAQ sections that address qualification criteria
Update FAQ content regularly based on customer feedback
Use FAQ analytics to refine qualification process

Lead Qualifying Strategy #4: Survey Lost Leads for Valuable Insights

As humans, we’re especially good at identifying patterns.

It’s what’s helped us go from club-wielding nomads to car-driving, laser-shooting, philosophers, scientists, and artists.

We’ve still got quite a bit of the baser desires of cavemen in us (re: football, Real Housewives of Wherever, politics in general).

But it’s our ability to solve problems with the logic that got us where we are today.

And when something goes wrong, like a lead falls out of your funnel, the logical thing to do is to ask them, “Hey, why’d you leave?”

If you get an “unsubscribe,” ask them what’s making them go.

If a lead makes it to the last stage of your funnel and abandons the ship, find out what made them jump.

Because user feedback can actually grow your sales by 71% (it happened to us).

And if their response is based on a misunderstanding or a false perception (e.g., they couldn’t find any info on a feature you actually have), use that information to address their concerns earlier on in the buyer’s journey.

Feedback is gold for any business.

And the more you take it into account, the better you can tweak your marketing to cater to the right prospects.

And as Salesforce points out, a whopping 62% of customers say they’re likely to share their bad company experience with others.

Advanced Survey Techniques

Implement these survey methods for comprehensive feedback:

Exit Surveys:
- Trigger based on specific exit behaviors
- Keep questions focused and relevant
- Offer incentives for completion
Follow-up Surveys:
- Time strategically after disengagement
- Personalize based on interaction history
- Include both quantitative and qualitative questions
Feedback Analysis Methods:
- Use sentiment analysis tools
- Track common exit points
- Identify patterns in responses

Key Takeaways

Implement systematic feedback collection from lost leads

Use data-driven insights to refine your qualification process
Regularly analyze feedback patterns to prevent future lead losses

Lead Qualifying Strategy #5: Set Clear Price Points

While talking about money may be uncouth within certain circles, you’re running a business.

And money, well, it’s just a part of the game.

A big part. The biggest part.

So when you’re browsing a company’s website and are getting more and more excited about working with them, there’s nothing more infuriating than not being able to find a price point anywhere.

It’s like they’re actively hiding it from you.

And in all likelihood, that means that they have something to hide (an eye-popping price tag, maybe?).

In order to avoid that frustration and help ensure that your leads can actually afford your services, you’ve got to include a well-made pricing page.

See ours?

Growbo's pricing table

According to PwC, 78% of successful B2B companies use transparent pricing as a key lead qualification tool.

Effective Pricing Strategies for Lead Qualification

Implement these pricing strategies to qualify leads effectively:

Tiered Pricing Examples:
- Basic Tier: Entry-level features for small businesses
- Professional Tier: Advanced features for growing companies
- Enterprise Tier: Custom solutions for large organizations
Value-Based Pricing:
- Showcase ROI calculations
- Highlight cost-saving benefits
- Demonstrate value metrics
Transparent Cost Structure:
- Clear breakdown of features
- No hidden fees policy
- Upfront implementation costs

Price Qualification Implementation Tips

Best practices for implementing price qualification:

Use price anchoring effectively
Include comparison tables
Highlight value propositions
Offer flexible payment options

Key Takeaways

Use transparent pricing as a qualification filter
Implement tiered pricing to segment leads effectively
Include clear value propositions at each price point

Lead Qualifying Strategy #6: Be Direct About Basic Requirements

In your business, you know what works and what doesn’t.

Even if you haven’t blatantly set them yet, there are limits to what you can work worth—requirements that simply must be met in order for you to get the results your clients are after.

For instance, at Growbo, we have the $7 for 7 days trial to determine if we are a good fit for the client.

Part of FAQ

Industry-Specific Requirement Examples

Requirements vary by industry as shown below:

SaaS Companies:
- Minimum user count
- Technical infrastructure requirements
- Integration capabilities needed
Marketing Agencies:
- Minimum monthly ad spend
- Content creation resources
- Reporting system compatibility
Professional Services:
- Project scope requirements
- Team availability needs
- Communication system requirements

Requirement Communication Best Practices

Effective ways to communicate requirements:

Create industry-specific checklists
Develop requirement calculators
Provide self-assessment tools
Offer requirement guides

Key Takeaways

Be transparent about minimum requirements from the start
Use clear, specific language in requirement communication
Explain how requirements contribute to successful outcomes

Lead Qualifying Strategy #7: Define Your Industry Focus

And last but certainly not least, be specific about who you work with and who you don’t.

Yes, yes. This touches on the age-old question of to niche, or not to niche.

And a lot of businesses out there are sensitive to the issue.

But the truth is that in order to grow efficiently, it just makes good sense to appeal to a certain niche market rather than casting a wider net.

So the sooner you do find your business’s ideal niche market, the better.

But once you do, be sure to call it out on your website.

Are you a SaaS business that only serves building materials manufacturers?

Or a transportation company that only deals in medical materials?

Or an adult-oriented magician that doesn’t do kids’ parties?

Call out specifically who you do and who you don’t work within your marketing materials.

This is especially important advice for that last example.

In fact, according to SiriusDecisions' 2024 B2B Market Research, companies with clearly defined industry focus see a 68% higher lead qualification rate compared to those with a broader approach.

Niche Market Selection Criteria

Key factors for identifying your ideal industry focus:

Market Analysis Factors:
- Industry growth rate
- Market size and potential
- Competition level
- Regulatory environment
Client Profitability Indicators:
- Average deal size
- Sales cycle length
- Customer lifetime value
- Resource requirements
Expertise Alignment:
- Current capabilities
- Industry knowledge
- Team experience
- Success track record

Key Takeaways

Define and communicate your target industries clearly
Develop industry-specific qualification processes
Use industry expertise as a qualification tool

Conclusion

Finding the right customers for your business doesn't have to be complicated.

In this article, we've shown you seven simple ways to spot customers who are ready to buy. These methods help you save time and money by focusing on people who actually need what you're selling.

The numbers show this works - businesses that use these methods sell up to 68% more than those who don't. It's like having a special filter that helps you find gold among regular rocks.

Here are the main things to remember:

Ask smart questions to understand if customers can afford your product
Make videos that show how your product works - this helps sales by 49%
Answer common questions before they're asked
Learn from customers who didn't buy from you
Be clear about your prices from the start
Tell people exactly what they need to work with you
Focus on the types of customers you serve best

Want to make all of this easier? Instead of figuring it all out yourself, let our team handle it for you. Try us out for just $7 for 7 days - we'll help you find and keep better customers without all the headaches.

What's your biggest challenge in finding the right customers? Share your story below, or visit Growbo.com to learn how we can help you attract better leads today.

Keep Growin’, stay focused.

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