I recently had a session with a sales team where the members were frustrated because potential customers would go silent or sound "confused" the moment they received a price quote.

If this is happening to you, it is because you dont have a process for sorting seekers from buyers before you send that proposal.

It is perfectly normal to run into people who are merely curious, confused, or weighing their options. However, when you give a quote to someone who isn't ready, they disappear because they've gotten the information they need and have no reason to stay engaged.

To protect your time and peace of mind, you must master Qualification and Discovery.

Think about my recent visit to the GAC headquarters in Abuja. I was looking at an 80 million naira GS8, looking "sweet and fresh," but I was just inquiring because I was passing by. Meanwhile, another gentleman there who didn't look nearly as "put together" was actually ready to buy a brand new car to replace his wifes totaled Mercedes.

Because the salesperson only answered our questions instead of asking her own, she had no idea who the real buyer was.

Your goal is to figure out who is worthy of being pursued. Before you invest hours into a quote, you need to use open-ended questions to find out:

Affordability: Can they actually budget for this?

Authority: Are they the actual decision-maker?

Urgency: Do they have a timeline to take action now?

If they aren't "red hot," don't ignore them, but don't waste your best energy there either put them into a relationship-nurturing sequence instead.

Focus your primary effort on the people ready to take action today to increase your odds of closing the deal.

If you want to stop the cycle of frustration and start dealing with serious folk, I can help. WhatsApp me at 08064662140 for a 15-minute sales audit or to join my WhatsApp channel.