Ask These 3 Questions Before You Book Any Sales Call

Have you ever jumped on a call and realized a few minutes in that this person can't afford what you sell? Or that they don't even need it?

I've been there. Here are the three questions I use to qualify people before I ever book a call.

If you're just starting out, it's natural to take every call you can. Honestly, that's somewhat needed. You need the reps. But if you want to save time, or you already have a sales team and you want fewer no shows and more calls that close on the first call, ask these questions in the DMs first.

Question One: Do They Have The Money?

The worst thing for a closer is hopping on a call and finding out the person has zero money.

I've had calls where I hoped for the best and slowly realized that what I was offering cost more than what this person lived on for a whole year. That's not a fit, and it's not fair to either of you.

There are usually hints. If their profile says they're a lawyer or a dentist or something with a high income, you're probably okay. If it's a business offer, ask how the business is going and where they're at. If it's a personal offer, you might find out they're between jobs.

Pick up those hints in the DM conversation. Let the application on your calendar vet a little more. Then by the time you're on the call, you're talking to someone who can actually say yes.

Question Two: Do They Need Help?

Some people message you just to chat. So get to the point. Can I even help you?

Ask what they're dealing with right now in their fitness, their business, their marriage, or whatever you help with. Sometimes the answer settles it fast. If you sell a marriage offer and they tell you they're single, that's your answer. If they already have the six pack and just like your content, they don't need your program.

Other times you hear the real reason. I just had a heart attack. I just had a baby and I'm struggling to lose the weight. That's someone you might be able to help.

Question Three: Do They Need It Now?

The third question is urgency.

A tire kicker would like the problem fixed someday. It's not a real need yet. They saw something interesting and wanted to poke around.

The question I like is, how long have you been dealing with this? It lets them sit in that pain for a moment and see for themselves that it's time to fix it. I've had the dad bod for five years. I've been running on referrals for three or four years and I need more leads.

Then you can sum it up for them. So it sounds like you want more leads. Then, I think I could help. Want me to drop my calendar link? When they say yes, send the link. Let the calendar ask a few more qualifying questions. And if they don't book right away, follow up.

The Recap

Do they have the money? Do they need the help? Do they need it fixed now?

Take a minute and look at your last few sales calls. Were you asking these? Which of the three are you skipping most?

If you want to go one step further and qualify on the booking form too, here's how I filter my sales calendar so I only talk to buyers.