Qualifying for Time

There’s nothing that makes a sales person sweat like a deal that is expected to close coming down to the wire. In reading about D.C. opting in to the FirstNet network for its first responders, I found myself imagining the FirstNet account representative stressing over the calendar with a looming year-end deadline before getting word that the deal closed a day before their cutoff date. I can only speculate whether it was a tense situation in this case, but it is important to map out all the critical decision requirements for a deal to close as soon as possible in the selling cycle so that timelines don’t become the reason for a sale falling through.

As you uncover the decision elements of a given opportunity, you are evaluating it to determine whether it meets your own criteria for a “qualified” opportunity. If you get far enough along in the process to make a presentation, your prospects will also be evaluating your product or service to determine whether it meets their criteria for a best-fit solution for their needs. You must discover exactly what those criteria are, who will be evaluating them, and if timelines sync up for both you and the buyer.

In some situations, a prospect’s decision-making process may be simple, made by a single individual based on one or two criteria. In other cases, though, the process may be considerably more complex, involving multiple individuals, each of whom has his own perspective and concerns about the purchase as well as differing degrees of influence and leverage on the decision.

It’s important to uncover a complete description of the process, and a deep understanding of all the players and their interests before you begin formulating solutions and developing proposals or presentations. If you find you cannot meet the requirements of the prospect’s decision-making process, or if some aspect of the process (such as the timing of the decision) is inconsistent with your goals, the opportunity is not a good fit.