How to Weed Out Bad Clients – 9 Discovery Call Questions Selling Made Simple And Salesman Podcast

Want to find better buyers and weed out the crappy leads that only end up wasting your time? Then be sure to ask the 9 qualification questions we’re talking about in this video on each of your discovery calls.

Diagnosis calls are slightly different to traditional discovery calls because they cover discovery, qualification, product positioning and micro-closing in a single call rather than spreading all of this out over multiple engagements.

1) Uncovering Pain

Is your prospect dealing with a problem? And are they in enough “pain” to drive the right amount of urgency to buy?

A “yes” to both is downright necessary. And to get to the bottom of it, you can ask two questions in particular…

“You booked this call with me today, what led to getting this call booked in?”

What’s the main reason they’re talking with you right now? You’ll have to do a bit more digging of course. But even in the most tight-lipped buyers you’ll still uncover at least a kernel of truth.

“What’s stopping you from solving this issue yourself?”

One of my favorite follow-ups to the previous question. Not only does this question uncover any roadblocks to implementation you may hit down the road. But it also gives you a clearer idea of how big this problem really is. Because if it really was a problem, the buyer should have been working to solve it themselves.

2) Timeframes

Not all timelines will line up. And one of your chief concerns when qualifying is whether your prospect’s timeline matches your own.

When do they want this problem solved? Today? This quarter? Next year?

As a rule of thumb, the buyers you want to work with should all want to solve their problems quickly. Because if they don’t have urgency, they won’t be compelled to act. And that might mean feet dragging, ghosting, and an overall waste of your time.

“When does this issue need to be solved by?”

This straightforward question gives you no-b******t timeline you can use to assess if your timeframes are a match.

3) Confirming Fit

And for this category, you actually need to ask yourself…

“Do I have the solution for this buyer’s problem?”

Honesty is key here. The best reps don’t oversell their product’s capabilities. Why? Because they know a dissatisfied and duped buyer ruins reputations, doesn’t provide referrals, and never ever comes back to buy again. So you need to think long and hard about whether your solution will really make the buyer’s problem a thing of the past.

4) Calculating ROI

No matter how big or how small, every new solution takes effort to implement. Buyers need to change vendors, hire new staff, train on novel systems, or fight for a change to the budget.

The question is, is the value your solution provides worth that discomfort?

How much will they have to change to accommodate it? And when all is said and done, will they look back on the investment as a good purchase or one that ate up too many resources?

You can start figuring that out by asking…

“How would things be different if we solved this for you?”

What will actually change for the buyer once they implement your solution? Is it a simple quality of life difference? Or does the switch lead to real change for the business on a fundamental level? This one’s key because no matter how well you think you understand the industry, every business is different. And asking the buyer outright will give you better insight into the real value your solution offers.

5) Understanding Process

Be sure your buyer is willing to adapt to your process before working with you. Check to see if they’re willing to stop working with current vendors, put in the necessary time for training, and whatever other “musts” need to be done to get maximum value from your solution.

To get to the bottom of this one, ask…

“When your organization has done similar projects in the past,