Let’s be real—you’re busy AF. Running a small business means wearing a thousand hats and juggling a million tasks. The last thing you want is to waste time trying to:
❌ Close the wrong clients
❌ Keep clients happy who weren’t a good fit from the start
❌ Deal with endless back-and-forth with leads that go nowhere
A great way to prevent this and get back some peace of mind? Asking the right questions before potential clients book with you.
By using lead qualification questions in your booking forms, you can filter out the tire-kickers from the serious buyers, ensuring you spend your precious time on the leads that really matter. It’s essentially like having a crystal ball that tells you whether a lead is worth pursuing or not!
In this article, we’ll go through everything you need to know about these handy Qs—from why they’re important to how to use them effectively. We’ll also share some specific questions you can use for different industries to finally start qualifying your leads like a pro. 💪
Let's get into it!
Lead qualification is all about figuring out which potential customers are the best fit for your product or service. Think of it like speed dating, but for your business.
By asking the right questions, you can see if a lead has the need, budget, and authority to make a purchase. This way, you focus your efforts on the leads most likely to say, “I do” (to your product, of course).
Lead qualification is your business's secret weapon. Here’s why:
Determining a qualified lead is all about compatibility. Every business is different, and one person’s dead end is another’s perfect lead.
To figure out what a qualified lead means for you, you’ll need to take these two steps.🚶🚶
1. Think about your most successful customers and ask yourself…
✅ What do they have in common?
✅ What problems are they trying to solve?
✅ How does your product or service fit into their lives?
2. Use that information to craft questions that will help you pinpoint similar leads.
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🎵Break it down…stop! Hammer Example time 🎵 Let’s say you're a leadership coach and get two leads—one who wants to get fit and another who wants to become a better people manager. You’re more likely to help the manager succeed, so you move forward with that person. Now, let’s switch gears and say you sell high-end kitchen equipment; in that case, a lead looking for budget-friendly gadgets probably won’t be a good fit. |
Remember, qualifying leads is about ensuring mutual success. You want to help customers who will benefit the most from what you offer, making your job easier and your clients happier.
Wondering how to gather customer information now that you’ve come up with some lead qualification questions? Here are a few places to stick ‘em. 👇
Do you offer a free intro call or consultation? Perfect! This is the ideal time to put that booking form to work.
With online scheduling software like YouCanBookMe, you can customize your booking form to include all the lead qualification questions you need. Ask potential clients about their budget, specific needs, or even how they found you.
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🌎 Real-world example: Jillian Vorce, CEO of The Jillian Group, uses her appointment scheduling form to gather contact info, find out why clients want to meet, and get to know a little more about them. |
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By using an online scheduling tool, you can also take your booking form a step further by enabling tentative bookings. This little trick lets you accept or decline a meeting before it gets added to your calendar, letting you review the potential client’s answers and ensure they’re a good fit.
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🌍 Real-world example: As you can see below, tattoo artist Daniele Lugli customized her booking page with a “request booking” button rather than “confirm booking,” letting her evaluate each session before accepting. |
Got a sales team (or maybe you're a one-man-band salesperson)? You’ll likely have lead forms built into your website, linked to buttons such as “Book a demo” or “Contact sales.”
You can use these forms to ask qualifying questions right off the bat. They’re perfect for gathering initial information and filtering out leads that aren’t a good fit.
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🌏 Real-world example: Project management tool Monday.com uses its “contact sales” website form to ask for vital info, including company size and goals, to qualify incoming leads. |
Meet the most old-school (but still super useful!) of all three customer data collection tricks. Whether you meet someone at a trade show or conference, or have an intro call via phone or video, your first chat with a potential lead is prime time to ask qualifying questions.
It’s your chance to build rapport and dig into the lead’s needs and expectations to see if they’re well-suited for you. Use the chat to gather detailed info about challenges, goals, and decision-making processes.
Psst…you can learn more about these five points in the section below. 😉
Before jumping into the specific questions you can use, here’s a quick sales qualification checklist to make sure you’re covering the basics, including:
Make sure your lead actually needs what you offer. This is like the foundation of a house—if it’s not solid, the rest simply won’t hold up.
Remember that only some people who land on your webpage or download a free resource are interested in actually purchasing your offer. And do you know how to figure out which one’s which? Yep, you guessed it! It’s those lead qualification questions we’ve been going on and on about.
Example from a real estate agent: Are you looking to buy or rent a property?
🧐 Why it’s important: This question helps determine the type of service the client needs and ensures they’re in the market for what you’re offering.
Example from a coach: What are your primary goals for seeking coaching?
🧐 Why it’s important: Knowing their goals helps you understand if your coaching style and expertise align with their needs.
Your product or service should be able to solve a problem for your lead. Think of this as matching the right medicine to a patient’s ailment. You don’t want to offer them a painkiller when what they really need is allergy medicine.
Example from an accountant: What are your biggest challenges in managing your finances?
🧐 Why it’s important: Identifies the specific areas where they need help, ensuring you can provide the right solutions.
Example from a photographer: What type of photography services are you looking for? (e.g., wedding, portrait, event).
🧐 Why it’s important: Helps you understand the scope of the project and whether your expertise aligns with their needs.
Budget is crucial. There’s no point in proceeding if your lead can't afford your services—it's like offering a Ferrari to someone shopping for a bike. Totally not practical and a colossal waste of time.
Although finances can be a sensitive subject, knowing if your potential lead can afford and is willing to pay your rates is crucial.
Example from a web designer: What is your ideal price range for this project?
🧐 Why it’s important: Helps you tailor your proposal to fit their financial constraints and decide if they’re a fit for your services.
Example from a caterer: What is your budget per person for the event?
🧐 Why it’s important: Allows you to decide whether you can create a menu and service plan that fits within their financial parameters.
Timing is everything. Even the best leads might not be ready to buy right now. It's like offering a snow shovel in July—sure, they’ll eventually need one, just not at this moment.
If a lead is interested, but cannot take the plunge now, don’t forget to follow up with them!
Example from a personal trainer: When are you looking to start your fitness program?
🧐 Why it’s important: Ensures their timeline matches your availability and helps you plan accordingly.
Example from a real estate agent: Do you have a specific timeline for buying/renting a property?
🧐 Why it’s important: Helps you understand their urgency and readiness, which can affect your approach and speed of service.
Woop, woop! Nope, that’s not the sound of the police—it’s the sound you’ll make when you finally reach the decision-maker. 💃
Trust us, you need to know if your lead is the one who can pull the trigger on the deal, otherwise, you’re trying to convince the wrong person.
Example from a marketing consultant: Who is the decision-maker for your company's marketing strategies?
🧐 Why it’s important: Ensures you know who has the authority to hire you, avoiding potential delays.
Example from a tattoo artist: Are you over the age of 18?
🧐 Why it’s important: This lead qualification question is crucial, as it can even protect you from legal issues! You need to know if your potential customer is 18 or over, and if not, you’ll need to get permission from their parent or guardian. This is also something you can (and should) include in your booking policy.
Let's determine what qualifies a lead for your business and work backward to identify the right questions to ask!
While the list of possible questions can get pretty long, stick to the essentials. This way, you won't overwhelm potential customers or scare them off from booking with you.
Below we've included lead qualification question examples for: