Prospects need more than interest to become buyers. I am interested in the features of the new iPhone but I am not going to buy it because I am too invested in the Android platform. I am interested in Pickup trucks but I have no need for one. A person like me can waste a lot of a salesperson’s time asking questions, satisfying my curiosity, and teaching me. But, I am not a prospect. I have no need. I have no pain. I am a decision maker and I have the money. But I am not a qualified prospect for either of those products and salespeople should ask enough questions to discover that and move on to someone else as quickly as possible without being rude or damaging the brand of what they are selling.
If you waste too much time with people like me in those two examples, you will not have time to prospect for real customers who are qualified. I know it is enticing and, by the way, prospects know that about you and they are good at pretending to be a real prospect to get their questions answered, to get their curiosity satisfied and to enhance their learning. So be sure to ask enough questions to be able to distinguish a real prospect from a “tire kicker”.
