Qualification
The Who, What, Why of Qualification and how it leads to better sales people and better deals
“You never regret qualifying out.”
“A qualified pipeline cures all ills.”
“Sales lives and dies in the qualification phase.”
“The best AEs qualify out.”
All quotes from sales leaders this week on the importance of qualification, and specifically qualifying OUT.
In this week’s edition of Stretch Weekly -
Andy Whyte talks through the Who, What, How of qualification and WHY everyone is talking about it.
Leslie Ye with Hubspot delivers an unrivaled guide to sales qualification.
Plus, quality snippets to help you and your team learn the what, why, and how to qualify deals in and out of your pipeline.
THANKS for reading!!
-Grant
And lastly - as always, if you find this newsletter valuable- subscribe or share it with someone who might as well 👊.
STRETCH SHARES
Why is Everyone Talking About Sales Qualification?
Such a fun, insightful and powerful video on why Qualification is key in sales. Andy Whyte talks through the Who, What, How of qualification and WHY everyone is talking about it.
Who: Champion, Economic Buyer, Competition
What: Metrics, Implicate Pain, Decision Criteria
How: Decision Process, Paper Process
So what if it’s not a fit? Andy reinforces that nobody regrets qualifying out. One of two things will happen:
Customer Agrees (DQ)
Customer talks you out of it.
And lastly a friendly reminder: Don’t be Gold Panner 🤣
The Ultimate Guide to Sales Qualification
Leslie Ye with Hubspot delivers an unrivaled guide to sales qualification. Her summary is better than anything I could write up, so here it is:
The discovery call is one of the most important conversations a salesperson can have with a potential customer.
It's a proverbial fork in the road for you and your prospect — they’re a good enough fit for your product or service to warrant discussing next steps, or it’s time to part ways.
But making that call is easier said than done. That’s where sales qualification comes in.
By asking the right questions, you’ll be able to determine whether the relationship should continue and the appropriate next steps to take if a deal is ultimately viable. This guide will walk you through the fundamentals of sales qualification, present the different frameworks you can use, and provide pointers on disqualification and conversational tip-offs to listen for.
STRETCH SNIPPETS
❌ Tom Williams interviewed 50+ sales leaders and it’s clear the best sales teams practice Proactive Disqualification. In short, disqualifying prospects as soon as it’s clear the deal won’t close.
✅ John Barrows says “ The sale in general, lives and dies in the qualification phase”. While Richard Harris talks about "Qual Calls vs. Discovery Calls" and more in this amazing webinar on The #1 Formula for Qualifying Prospects.
⚾️ Jeb Blount warns against swinging at every opportunity and gives us 4 keys to keeping qualified pipeline opportunities in the Strike Zone. 1. Define the strike zone, 2- have the discipline to walk away, 3- keep it real with pipeline accuracy, and 3- conduct regular pipeline reviews.
🎯 The best AEs don't close every deal. The best AEs don't have the biggest pipeline at any given moment. The best AEs qualify out - Mor Assouline
🤔 The GOAT of Discovery, Charles Muhlbauer says tweaking the question “What do you mean?” to “How do you mean?” encourages more detailed responses and deeper conversation as you qualify.
🧠 Mindset
Thanks for reading!
My hope is if you find this valuable, consider sharing it with friends (or signing up if you haven’t already).
— Grant 👋
About stretch vp: confessions, learnings, and insights from sales leaders in SaaS
Compiled and aggregated from a network of sales leaders in SaaS, Stretch VP showcases learnings, insights, and experiences as well as best practices to overcome common hurdles, obstacles, and setbacks in your quest for excellence as a sales leader in SaaS.
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