218 Screening Your Prospects: 4+ Ways to Qualify Your Customer Leads

Over the years, I've had a lot of people come up to me and ask me, "What's this box of veggies all about?..."

I used to take 5-10 minutes with EVERY person and dive deep into how a CSA worked, how to sign up, etc. I could tell some of them were interested, and some weren't, but it would take me a little longer to figure out if they'd be successful.

Years later, I now  know how to shorten that process immensely. I've learned how to ask the right questions first, read body language, and determine who is really a serious lead, and who isn't.

This screening process is something called "qualifying your leads" in the marketing space.

Qualifying leads is important because it allows you to focus your precious time and resources on prospects who are more likely to convert into paying customers. If you can find a way to identify and then target the qualified leads, you'll not only see higher conversions, but it will happen a whole lot faster.

So what are the questions and elements we need to be looking for to help us "screen" our leads? In today's episode, I share an acronym used by IBM sales executives called B.A.N.T.

B - Budget
A - Authority
N - Need
T - Timeline

This acronym becomes the starting point for a lively discussion on what information we're trying to glean from our prospect, to help guide the sales conversation. At the end of the day, I want my client to LOVE my product and experience satisfaction. I feel responsible for making sure I don't sell it to someone who isn't a good fit.

Use this podcast to help you develop your own qualifying questions for sales conversations, and consider how you might set these up into a "system" in your customer interactions.

This podcast was sponsored by Local Line, the leading e-commerce platform for the local food system. Try Local Line for your farm today! Local Line is offering a free premium feature for free for one year on top of your paid subscription. Claim your discount by signing up for a Local Line account today and using the coupon code: MDF2023. Head to my special affiliate link to get started: www.mydigitalfarmer.com/localline

Some of the resources mentioned in this episode:

My List of Great Market Research Survey Questions -- I send a survey out to my clients every year at the end of the season. Want some ideas for great questions to use? Grab this list here.

Join my free email list! I have a great "email onboarding sequence" that will guide you through the marketing jungle over the course of several months. Each week, you'll get a new email with suggestions and tips to make your marketing better.

Accelerator Group Coaching with Corinna -- get on the wait list for this 15-member group Mastermind and Farm Marketing School experience.

Sign up for my CSA Academy -- and get access to my CSA member resource library to use for your own CSA (as long as you're a paying member). Use coupon code TRIAL to get your first month for $1.

Find my Facebook group for farmers!

Follow me on Instagram for a daily IG story tip on marketing! @mydigitalfarmer

Subscribe and Review in Apple Podcast

I’d love for you to subscribe to my podcast! I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts!