Qualifying Leads Using Targeted Questions

Your prospect says: "We need a new sales platform because we want to grow the business." What happens next determines whether you're average or elite. AVERAGE REP: "Great! Let me tell you about our features..." (You’ve ALREADY lost if this is how you answer) (Let’s watch an elite rep handle this now…) ELITE REP: "Grow the business?" [waits in silence] PROSPECT: "Yes, we need to increase revenue by 30% this year." ELITE REP: "Why is hitting that 30% target so critical right now?" PROSPECT: "We need it to secure our Series C funding." ELITE REP: "What would missing that target mean for the company?" PROSPECT: "We'd have to delay expansion and possibly cut headcount." ELITE REP: "And for you personally, what would it mean to secure that funding?" PROSPECT: "My equity would finally be worth something. Plus, I'd prove to the board they made the right choice promoting me to CRO." ELITE REP: "So if I understand correctly, you need to grow 30% to secure Series C funding, which would both protect your team from layoffs AND potentially make your equity worth seven figures while cementing your position as CRO. Is that right?" PROSPECT: "Exactly. So how can you help us?" THIS is the difference between qualification and transformation. After coaching thousands of reps, I've found that most never get past the first layer of discovery. They treat prospects like a checklist rather than an onion. The fortune is in the follow up questions. My CHAN Code for ethical influence has three simple steps: 1. Ask an open-ended question 2. Go DEEP with the RIM framework (Relevance, Impact, Motive) 3. Repeat back as a question for understanding When you master this process, you transform "we want to grow" into concrete business and personal impact that makes it impossible for prospects to ghost you. The hardest territory to manage isn't your CRM. It's the six inches between your prospect's ears. — Sales reps… want me to break down the Wolf of Wall Street’s B2B discovery session? Go here: https://lnkd.in/gPT-Qprv

There’s an AE on my team that hits 200% of quota. Consistently. 🤯 Here’s her secret:  She asks the hard questions. 1. “You mentioned [date] as a goal. What’s driving that timeline, and is that date firm?” Verifies whether the timeline is real or aspirational. 2. "Based on what you’ve seen so far, is there anything that’s giving you pause about moving forward with us?” Invites honest feedback to surface objections early. One of my favorites. 3. “How does our solution compare to others you’re evaluating?” Tests competitive positioning and whether you're the frontrunner. 4.“Who else on your team needs to feel good about this before a decision is made?” Instead of just jotting down names and objections, she builds pages in Aligned to address concerns. That way, when new stakeholders join later, all the context is already waiting for them. 5. “If [insert key stakeholder] were here, what concerns would they raise?” Forces your champion to think on behalf of other decision makers. Great way to learn real objections. 6. “Have you ever purchased something like this before? What did that process look like internally?” Surfaces potential red tape or hidden decision criteria. 7. “What needs to happen between now and [target close date] for this to actually happen?” Pushes them to co create the buying journey and surface risk. 8. “When you picture this going live, what’s the ideal outcome for your team in the first 90 days?” Surfaces their definition of success. These questions do 3 things: – Build trust. – Surface the real decision process. – Give you everything to close/won the deal. 🎯 Bonus Tip: She doesn’t just ask the hard questions, she operationalizes them in Aligned. Here’s how… https://lnkd.in/gs7Gt5Rd That’s how you turn discovery into closed/won deals. - Mike G

You can’t “prompt” your way out of bad targeting. Yes, AI is great, personalizing Cold Emails is awesome 🔥   But there’s a better hack:   Break your list into smaller targets.   Let me tell you a story 👇   A few months ago a client came to us asking to target: “Ecommerce founders.” That was the whole brief.   So, what do you do?   You ask questions. For example:   → Shopify or Amazon? → Fashion or supplements? → Funded or bootstrapped? → Do they grow through paid ads or organically? → Who’s handling growth?   Then you build the list:   → Shopify brands → Selling skincare → Based in the EU → Running Meta ads → Hiring but no Head of Growth → Founder posts 3x/week on LinkedIn   Now your Cold Email doesn’t need a clever opener. It’s already relevant.   This is how we build Outbound at SalesCaptain. We don’t stop at “industry.” We segment by:   📦 Category → Not just HR software → but compensation platforms, 100–300 headcount, scaling in LATAM, using Gusto   📡 Signal → Not just “growing teams” → Teams hiring SDRs, posting on LinkedIn, with no RevOps function in place   We use AI, but not to fake relevance. We use it to find signals that show who’s actually in-market.   Because in 2025: Signals > prompts Context > copy   The broader the list, the harder the message has to work. Shrink the list. Sharpen the context. Let relevance do the work. Have a nice weekend.   #b2bsales #coldemail #leadgen #gtm #personaliztion #aiinsales

Two of the WORST questions you can ask on a sales demo: "Does that make sense?" "What questions do you have?" Those don't sell. They just fill the silence. ✅ 10 demo questions that move deals forward: "How are you doing [X workflow] today?" (Ask right before you demo the feature → creates contrast between today vs your product.) "How does that compare to how you're doing it now?" (Ask right after the demo → reinforces contrast, locks in value.) "To what extent do you envision this being useful in your situation?" (Gets them imagining themselves using your product.) "How do you see your team using that?" (Solid for decision makers who buy but don't use.) "To what degree is this resonating so far?" (A mid-point pulse check. Much better than "any questions?") "To what extent do you see that solving [problem they shared earlier]?" (Closes the loop between pain → solution.) "What benefits do you see showing up in your world from this?" (Gets them to voice the benefits out loud.) "Where do you want to double-click with a few questions?" (Same intent as "any questions?" but phrased as a pattern interrupt.) "It seems like that resonated—what challenge in your business makes that hit home?" (When you strike a chord, this uncovers gold.) "It seems like this isn't resonating—where am I missing the mark?" (When you're off track, this pulls you back on track.) The difference? The first two questions put the spotlight on you. The 10 above put the spotlight on them. That's where selling happens. P.S. These 7 strategies will help you CLOSE more deals in a GTM crisis: https://lnkd.in/d_DkYTSH

I coach an SMB AE that makes $16,000+ per month, and $10K on a bad month. He doesn't ask "any questions?" or "does that make sense?" on his demos. None of those questions tell you if the prospect actually sees value. I taught him how to "micro-close" throughout his calls instead. These secure small agreements at various points throughout the conversation. Micro-closing guide prospects through the decision-making process, ensuring they're on board with each aspect of your solution before moving forward. 7 examples of micro-closes: 1. "Do you feel this is aligned with what you're looking for?" → This question checks if the solution matches the prospect’s expectations and needs, ensuring you're on the right track. 2. "On a scale of 1-10, 10 being this is EXACTLY what I need, where do you feel this sits?" → This helps gauge the prospect's interest and level of satisfaction, giving you insight into how well your solution fits their needs. 3. "Is this what you had in mind when you said you needed to [solve pain]?" → This confirms that the solution directly addresses the specific pain point the prospect mentioned, reinforcing relevance. 4. "Will [other stakeholder] think this solves [problem]?" → This question involves other decision-makers by predicting their approval, which helps to secure broader buy-in. 5. "Based on [your problem], how confident do you feel this will solve it?" → This prompts the prospect to express their confidence in the solution's effectiveness, moving them closer to commitment. 6. "Would this approach fit within your current strategy?" → This question prompts the prospect to consider how your solution aligns with their broader goals, leading to a small commitment. 7. "Does this feature address the challenge you mentioned earlier?" → This question directly ties the demo back to a specific pain point, helping the prospect see the relevance of your solution. What questions do you ask after showing a (relevant) feature? P.S. Here are 24 questions 6,600+ AEs have used to master discovery: https://lnkd.in/eR69raD4