Outbound business-to-business contact center sales can be challenging at best, especially during tough economic times. One of the keys to success is rigorously qualifying prospects before you move them through the sales process.

Too often, though, agents fall into the trap of trying to "sell" from the moment they get a prospect on the phone. They are wasting time and resources, though, unless the prospective client is ready, willing and able to make a decision.

Here are four critical questions your agents should ask early in a call to qualify prospects and close more new business:

  • Question #1: What specific objective do you want to accomplish?
    Whether you’re selling business phone services or sophisticated office equipment, it’s important to understand what motivates your prospect to make an investment. What needs or wants do they have that your solution can help them satisfy? Ask your agents to do some probing to determine what drives the prospect so they can position the product or service you’re selling accordingly.
  • Question #2: What is your timeframe for making a decision?
    Converting a lead into a sale is always easier if there is a sense of urgency attached to the opportunity. It’s what separates a high-value prospect from a marginal sales lead. So ask your agents to determine the timeliness of the prospect’s needs. Are there budget dollars that must be spent before a specific deadline? Does the company need new technology in order to achieve or maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace? Are they not getting the value of services promised to them by their current provider? Urgency is a premium qualifier, be sure your agents ask and understand this early in the call.
  • Question #3: What is your budget for products and services of this type?
    It’s all too common a complaint: An agent has high hopes of landing a deal, only to be disappointed by the prospect’s inability (or unwillingness) to pay the price you’re asking. To assure your team spends time only with prospects who can afford what you’re selling, ask your agents to probe for a budget range early in each call. If the prospect doesn’t believe your product or service is affordable, you have a problem. The company may not have the budget dollars, you may be talking to a person at too low a level, or the prospect may not perceive the value in what you have to offer. In any case, get clear on financial considerations up front.
  • Question #4: Who will participate in the buying decision?
    It’s important that your agents know early on who the players are in any buying decision. It’s a fact of life that many executives are risk-adverse and don’t want to take all the responsibility for a decision. So they solicit input from others – from managers whose departments will be impacted by the purchase to technical specialists who can help with a product evaluation. Determine who makes up the formal or informal decision-making body so you can reach out and address their own unique buying motives.

To make the best use of your contact center resources, have your agents ask these four qualifying questions each time they get a new prospect on the phone… and ask them as early in the discussion as possible. You don’t want your team to waste valuable time and have the hopes of a sale dashed because a prospect simply wasn’t adequately qualified.

Barrett Riddleberger is founder of the sales consulting firm Resolution Systems and author of "Blueprint of a Sales Champion: How to Recruit, Refine and Retain Top Sales Performers." He specializes in the psychology behind peak performance and what motivates salespeople to succeed. For more information, visit www.resolutionsystemsinc.com, or email Barrett at info@resolutionsystemsinc.com.