9/29/2025-Better closing? Qualify better

According to CSO Insights, 61% of surveyed salespeople feel they’re “good” at identifying customers’ pain points.

“Identifying pain points” requires disciplined probing and qualifying. And btw, you don’t want to be “good” at it, you want to be great at it.

It all starts with the questions you ask buyers.

To consistently rank in the TOP 10%, you must constantly qualify and probe throughout the funnel…even when it’s obvious the buyer wants to be somewhere else.

Focus on these two facets of qualifying to improve your close rate; try both today in your customer interactions.

1. Proactively confirm fundamental transaction data in every buyer interaction; it’ll take only a few moments to discuss decision timelines, objectives, budget, and interest level, to name a few. Effective qualifying will guard against miscommunication and keep things moving through the funnel.

2. Real-time qualifying on strategic issues like value prop alignment, objection/obstacle opinions, and solution-to-goal matching. Don’t let a buyer get away with offering vague information. Probe to understand rooted opinions and perspectives.

If closing deals were as simple as repeating, “I will close this deal today” – like Annette Bening’s character in this American Beauty Short – then sales would be easy.

In real life, qualifying is a “Master’s” skill. It’s the grease that keeps deals moving through the funnel.

The sharper your qualifying, the smoother – and faster – the close.