17. Step 1: Pre-Qualify
• Ask soft questions to learn what is going on
• Does it make sense to talk?
18. INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
PRODUCT TARGET VALUE PAIN QUESTIONS
MANUFACTURERS
• For each pain point the
product fixes is a question
that could be asked.
• What question could we ask to
see if the prospect has each
challenge or concern?
TECHNICAL PAIN QUESTIONS
• How do you feel about the time spent ordering?
• How concerned are you about order errors?
• How important is it to view orders and inventory?
BUSINESS PAIN QUESTIONS
• There is a lot of labor spent on placing orders
• Ordering errors are costly and impact profitability
• Difficult to make good decisions without visibility
across orders and inventory
TECHNICAL PAIN
• Submitting orders is time-consuming
• It is easy to make errors when ordering
• Difficult to view orders and inventory
BUSINESS PAIN
• There is a lot of labor spent on placing orders
• Ordering errors are costly and impact profitability
• Difficult to make good decisions without visibility
across orders and inventory
PERSONAL PAIN
• Working too much
• Not making as much money as would like
• Would like more career advancement
PERSONAL PAIN QUERSTIONS
• Working too much
• Not making as much money as would like
• Would like more career advancement
21. Technical Pain Questions
• How do you feel about the time spent ordering?
• How concerned are you about order errors?
• How important is it to view orders and inventory?
Business Pain Questions
• There is a lot of labor spent on placing orders
• Ordering errors are costly and impact profitability
• Difficult to make good decisions without visibility across orders and inventory
Personal Pain Questions
• Working too much
• Not making as much money as would like
• Would like more career advancement
PAIN
QUESTIONS
Pain Questions
22. • Are you currently using inventory management software?
• What are you all using for inventory management?
• What is your process for managing inventory?
• Are you using tools to manage inventory?
• How many people do you have working on inventory management?
• How many warehouses do you have?
• What is your inventory turnover rate?
• When was the last time you looked at improving your inventory management
process?
CURRENT
STATE
PAIN
QUESTIONS
Current State Questions
23. Step 2: Qualify
• Ask deeper probing questions
• Determine how real the deal is
24. Four Areas to Measure
NEED TO PURCHASE
ABILITY TO PURCHASE
AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE
INTENT TO PURCHASE
25. • What motivated you to look at us (brought you to us)?
• Do you mind if I ask why you took time out of your schedule to meet with us?
• What improvements could you see if you make this purchase?
• What will happen if you do not purchase something?
• Is there a date when this purchase needs to be made?
• What happens if the purchase is not made by that date?
• What is the time frame that the project needs to work along?
CURRENT
STATE
Need to Purchase Questions
PAIN
QUESTIONS
NEED TO
PURCHASE
26. • What is the range that you need your budget to stay within?
• Is there a budget approved for this project?
• Have the funds been allocated to this purchase?
• What budget (department) will this purchase be made under?
• Are there other purchases that this funding may end up being used for?
• How does the project fit with other initiatives from a priority standpoint?
Ability to Purchase Questions
CURRENT
STATE
PAIN
QUESTIONS
NEED TO
PURCHASE
ABILITY TO
PURCHASE
27. • What is the decision-making process?
• What parties will be involved in making the decision?
• What are the key factors that a decision will be based on?
• What functional areas (departments) will be impacted by the purchase?
• Is there a committee that this type of purchase has to go through?
• Who is the ultimate decision maker?
• Who is the person that will need to sign the agreement/contract?
Authority to Purchase Questions
CURRENT
STATE
PAIN
QUESTIONS
NEED TO
PURCHASE
ABILITY TO
PURCHASE
AUTHORITY
TO
PURCHASE
28. • What other options are you considering?
• How far along are you in discussions with them?
• How do you feel about your other options?
• What do you like about them? What do you not like about them?
• How do they compare with what we have to offer?
• Is there a reason why you would choose us over them?
• If you had to make a decision today, which way would you lean?
Intent to Purchase Questions
CURRENT
STATE
NEED TO
PURCHASE
ABILITY TO
PURCHASE
AUTHORITY
TO
PURCHASE
INTENT TO
PURCHASE
PAIN
QUESTIONS
29. Four Areas to Measure
NEED TO PURCHASE
ABILITY TO PURCHASE
AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE
INTENT TO PURCHASE
QUALIFIED LEAD NOT QUALIFIED
30. No Need Prospects
NEED TO PURCHASE
ABILITY TO PURCHASE
AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE
INTENT TO PURCHASE
• Protect your time
• Potentially walk away
• Use automation
31. No Money Prospects
NEED TO PURCHASE
ABILITY TO PURCHASE
AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE
INTENT TO PURCHASE
• Identify if short or long-term
• Protect your time
• Potentially walk away
• Stay in contact
• Use automation
32. No Power Prospects
NEED TO PURCHASE
ABILITY TO PURCHASE
AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE
INTENT TO PURCHASE
• Identify decision maker
• Get decision maker involved
• Protect your time
• Potentially walk away
33. No Intent Prospects
NEED TO PURCHASE
ABILITY TO PURCHASE
AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE
INTENT TO PURCHASE
• Protect your time
• Use boilerplates and
templates
• Provide lowest possible price
• Potentially walk away
35. • What are the short-term goals for the organization? Long-term goals
• What is the top priority for the organization?
• What objectives are you focused on?
• What areas are targets for future improvements?
• What issues or challenges would you like to fix?
• If you could wave a wand and change one thing, what would that be?
CURRENT
STATE
PAIN
QUESTIONS
Desired State Questions
NEED TO
PURCHASE
ABILITY TO
PURCHASE
AUTHORITY
TO
PURCHASE
INTENT TO
PURCHASE
DESIRED
STATE
36. • What does the organization look like?
• What objectives is the organization measured against?
• How is the organization structured?
• What does your team look like?
• What other departments do you interface with?
• Who do you report to?
• Is it possible to get a copy of an org chart?
CURRENT
STATE
PAIN
QUESTIONS
Organization Questions
NEED TO
PURCHASE
ABILITY TO
PURCHASE
AUTHORITY
TO
PURCHASE
INTENT TO
PURCHASE
DESIRED
STATE
ORGANIZATION
There are four characteristics of a qualified prospect.
Does the prospect have a true need to purchase what you sell? You may have a prospect that is very interested and excited about what you have to offer, but do they need what you have or do they want what you have? The more they need what you have, the more qualified the prospect.
Does the prospect have the authority to make the purchase from a decision making power stand point? If we are a car sales person and taking someone on a test drive, but it is the spouse that is at home that would make the approval of the car purchase, we are not spending time with a qualified prospect.
Does the prospect have the ability to make the purchase from a funding or money standpoint? If the prospect loves what you have but does not have any money to spend, the prospect is not completely qualified.
Does the prospect have real genuine interest purchasing from you? Just because a prospect is talking with you does not mean that there is serious interest on their side.
The prospect really needs medium to strong levels in all of these areas to be truly qualified. A prospect only needs to be weak in one area for their to be a concern and we will look at four different types of prospects that are good in only three of the four key areas as we look at four types of unqualified prospects.
There are four characteristics of a qualified prospect.
Does the prospect have a true need to purchase what you sell? You may have a prospect that is very interested and excited about what you have to offer, but do they need what you have or do they want what you have? The more they need what you have, the more qualified the prospect.
Does the prospect have the authority to make the purchase from a decision making power stand point? If we are a car sales person and taking someone on a test drive, but it is the spouse that is at home that would make the approval of the car purchase, we are not spending time with a qualified prospect.
Does the prospect have the ability to make the purchase from a funding or money standpoint? If the prospect loves what you have but does not have any money to spend, the prospect is not completely qualified.
Does the prospect have real genuine interest purchasing from you? Just because a prospect is talking with you does not mean that there is serious interest on their side.
The prospect really needs medium to strong levels in all of these areas to be truly qualified. A prospect only needs to be weak in one area for their to be a concern and we will look at four different types of prospects that are good in only three of the four key areas as we look at four types of unqualified prospects.
There are four characteristics of a qualified prospect.
Does the prospect have a true need to purchase what you sell? You may have a prospect that is very interested and excited about what you have to offer, but do they need what you have or do they want what you have? The more they need what you have, the more qualified the prospect.
Does the prospect have the authority to make the purchase from a decision making power stand point? If we are a car sales person and taking someone on a test drive, but it is the spouse that is at home that would make the approval of the car purchase, we are not spending time with a qualified prospect.
Does the prospect have the ability to make the purchase from a funding or money standpoint? If the prospect loves what you have but does not have any money to spend, the prospect is not completely qualified.
Does the prospect have real genuine interest purchasing from you? Just because a prospect is talking with you does not mean that there is serious interest on their side.
The prospect really needs medium to strong levels in all of these areas to be truly qualified. A prospect only needs to be weak in one area for their to be a concern and we will look at four different types of prospects that are good in only three of the four key areas as we look at four types of unqualified prospects.
There are four characteristics of a qualified prospect.
Does the prospect have a true need to purchase what you sell? You may have a prospect that is very interested and excited about what you have to offer, but do they need what you have or do they want what you have? The more they need what you have, the more qualified the prospect.
Does the prospect have the authority to make the purchase from a decision making power stand point? If we are a car sales person and taking someone on a test drive, but it is the spouse that is at home that would make the approval of the car purchase, we are not spending time with a qualified prospect.
Does the prospect have the ability to make the purchase from a funding or money standpoint? If the prospect loves what you have but does not have any money to spend, the prospect is not completely qualified.
Does the prospect have real genuine interest purchasing from you? Just because a prospect is talking with you does not mean that there is serious interest on their side.
The prospect really needs medium to strong levels in all of these areas to be truly qualified. A prospect only needs to be weak in one area for their to be a concern and we will look at four different types of prospects that are good in only three of the four key areas as we look at four types of unqualified prospects.
There are four characteristics of a qualified prospect.
Does the prospect have a true need to purchase what you sell? You may have a prospect that is very interested and excited about what you have to offer, but do they need what you have or do they want what you have? The more they need what you have, the more qualified the prospect.
Does the prospect have the authority to make the purchase from a decision making power stand point? If we are a car sales person and taking someone on a test drive, but it is the spouse that is at home that would make the approval of the car purchase, we are not spending time with a qualified prospect.
Does the prospect have the ability to make the purchase from a funding or money standpoint? If the prospect loves what you have but does not have any money to spend, the prospect is not completely qualified.
Does the prospect have real genuine interest purchasing from you? Just because a prospect is talking with you does not mean that there is serious interest on their side.
The prospect really needs medium to strong levels in all of these areas to be truly qualified. A prospect only needs to be weak in one area for their to be a concern and we will look at four different types of prospects that are good in only three of the four key areas as we look at four types of unqualified prospects.
There are four characteristics of a qualified prospect.
Does the prospect have a true need to purchase what you sell? You may have a prospect that is very interested and excited about what you have to offer, but do they need what you have or do they want what you have? The more they need what you have, the more qualified the prospect.
Does the prospect have the authority to make the purchase from a decision making power stand point? If we are a car sales person and taking someone on a test drive, but it is the spouse that is at home that would make the approval of the car purchase, we are not spending time with a qualified prospect.
Does the prospect have the ability to make the purchase from a funding or money standpoint? If the prospect loves what you have but does not have any money to spend, the prospect is not completely qualified.
Does the prospect have real genuine interest purchasing from you? Just because a prospect is talking with you does not mean that there is serious interest on their side.
The prospect really needs medium to strong levels in all of these areas to be truly qualified. A prospect only needs to be weak in one area for their to be a concern and we will look at four different types of prospects that are good in only three of the four key areas as we look at four types of unqualified prospects.