Qualification Is A 2-Way Street

You’ve “qualified” your prospect. They’ve met whatever criteria you’ve established for qualification.You think you’re done with qualification.Yet, here’s where many sellers make a critical mistake.Have you confirmed whether the prospect has qualified you?Qualification is a two-way street.It’s not just about qualifying your prospect. It’s equally about the buyer qualifying you.Most sellers overlook this at their peril.Why would you spend your limited selling time on a buyer who thinks you’re not a fit for them?Bilateral qualification should be a key milestone in your sales process because you don’t have a truly qualified buyer until they've qualified you, too.What are the vendor qualification criteria that are important to your prospect?Don’t assume. Ask.If you’re not a fit for them, then the chances are high that they’re not a fit for your ICP. In which case, why are you investing your limited selling time in them?Just because a buyer is still engaging with you doesn't mean that they’ve qualified you. To the contrary.Buyers will keep sellers engaged in a deal for many reasons. Perhaps they have an internal requirement to get multiple bids. Or, more typically, they want to use you as pricing leverage against their preferred vendor.Protect your selling time. Don’t ever assume that you’re still in contention.Qualification isn’t complete until you’re qualified.

- Andy Paul