3 Ways To Pre-Qualify Your Leads
May 13, 2009 – 4:07 pm
Never waste time on dead-end estimate requests again!
Are you getting sick and tired of making professional-looking estimates, only to be shot down?
Are you finding it a little discouraging to spend the time required to prepare slick estimate packages, only to find time and again that your prospects simply aren’t willing to pay what you are asking?
A few members of the WCMM forum recently have found themselves in this predicament, and likely you have to, at some point. I used to struggle with this regularly, too, until a couple of years ago, when I discovered the power of doing something really simple in my window cleaning business:
Pre-qualifying the people who call us to do business.
Since I’ve already mentioned a couple of reasons WHY you need to start doing this, let’s get specific about HOW you can pre-qualify your future leads:
1. Always provide pricing on your marketing materials.
Stop dancing around the price of your services, and don’t leave people in the dark. Let them know that your prices at least “start at” $99 or whatever it is you charge as a minimum. Put pricing on your website. Put it on your fliers. Put it on your postcards. Get it out there!
The more people are familiar with at least the basic pricing of your window or gutter cleaning services, the more likely they won’t waste your time if your prices are perceived by them as too high for their budget.
2. Direct people to your website on your phone message.
Just in case people find your phone number in a weird, random way, and are oblivious to your website or your pricing, if they are leaving a phone message for you, direct them to your website for specific pricing information on your phone message. They might end up foregoing leaving a message, and checking your website out first.
3. Be straight with people about pricing when you speak with them.
Tell them up front what they can expect in terms of price, at least ballpark-wise, so that they aren’t shocked later. Whether its on the phone or in person, look them in the eye, give them a warm smile, and tell them how much your services will cost, at least some approximate costs, before you go ahead and prepare an estimate for them.
If they don’t flinch, then go ahead and prepare an estimate for them, but only then.
I guarantee that if you start following these few really simple steps, which essentially are only ONE step (being upfront about prices) then you will forever free yourself from estimates that go nowhere, and will achieve a remarkably higher closing rate with those that decide to officially accept a written estimate from you.
Since using this approach, my little window cleaning company has enjoyed a close rate of about 90%, for the prospects we prepare written estimates for, and it’s much happier and healthier for your business to have those kinds of numbers 
Start today, before you forget!
Remember, there’s no point to reading these posts, unless you actually DO something, and follow some of my advice!
Kevin
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