In Part 1 of this discussion we were trying to define a Sales Ready Lead. My contention is that it is anyone who may purchase your product or solution now, or in the future. Our dilemma is how we filter out those that may possibly buy (nothing is certain). Here is a technique that served me well during my years as a sales person in the IT hardware/software business.

Ask the Golden Question

Yes, there is a Golden Question that you (or your nurturing flow process) can ask to determine if the prospect should be pushed to sales. The question, however needs to appear as a personal note to the prospect, not a computer generated message. Ideally, it should come from the sales team themselves (or an inside rep) and should be delivered within minutes of the initial contact.

Before you ask the Golden Question

There are a couple of prerequisites needed before you ask this question. The first is, did you satisfy the prospect's initial request? If they asked for a whitepaper, have you delivered it? You cannot ask the Golden Question until you have given them what they asked for...calling is a big no-no. Once you have cleared this first "trust" hurdle you can ask the Golden Question.

The Golden Question

"Mr./Ms.,
My name is YYY and I approved your request for ZZZ. This is a courtesy follow-up to make sure you received it. If you have not received it, please check your spam filter.

Have you defined the requirements for your XYZ project, or no? We have compiled a "Top 20 Customer Requirements List" from our customers and would be happy to share it with you.

Thank you for your interest in WWW.

YYY"

That's it. Now you don't have to buy my new book "The Golden B2B Sales Question" (grin).

This may sound simplistic but it accomplishes several key things. First, it builds trust that you delivered what you said you would. Second, it asks the Golden Question in a way that the prospect is compelled to answer "Have you defined the requirements for your XYZ project, or no? The "or no" part is important because it gives the prospect an opening to TELL you no, he hasn't (I learned that from Tom Freese in his book "Question Based Selling"...a wonderful read). Third, any prospect that is serious now or in the future will want that list that was created by other customers...trust me. Just be ready to provide it. If you want a sample of one, email me.

ANY prospect that says they want the list is, by definition, a Sales Ready Lead and should go to sales, period. Doing this will help your sales team find opportunities early in the sales process so they can do what they do best; create the rules your competition will respond to when their nurturing process reveals your deal!

As a sales person, it's a beautiful thing to receive a Request for Proposal for several million dollars that is a perfect fit for your solution because you worked hard early on. Give your sales team that chance.