How to Qualify the Right Leads for Phone Calls

Lead generation is the lifeblood of your business.

This is true for all businesses, but over the years the so-called "experts" have tricked you into thinking you need more leads, more email addresses and more, more, more.

Related: The 15 Characteristics of People Who Succeed at Sales

You don't!

• You don't want more sales -- you want more profit.
• You don't want more leads -- you want more qualified calls.
• You don't want more customers -- you want more people to buy your stuff, come back again and again, and talk about how amazing you are with their friends.

It's not about "more." It's about getting the right leads through your door.

And if you are an entrepreneur who sells high-ticket offers to a sophisticated audience, it's all about getting the right people on the phone. Whether it's you or your sales team, you don't have the time to waste on unqualified people.

Here's how to get the right people on the phone.

1. Positioning

Your positioning is how you differentiate yourself from the competition. It's your brand, values, mission, vision, messaging (more on this next) and "unfair advantage."

If you position yourself as the go-to expert in your niche, people will take notice. Everything you do needs to align with this positioning, and it needs to "speak" to the specific avatar you want to turn from lead to customer.

If you want a sophisticated customer who takes action, your price, offer and messaging has to align with this. You cannot expect to get sophisticated customers with a $997 product.

You cannot expect to get qualified people on the phone, if your messaging isn't on point and relevant.

Related: 7 Key Selling Habits All Sales Professionals Must Develop

2. Messaging

Speaking of messaging, if you don't make it clear who you do (and don't work) with, you cannot expect your audience to know whether they can work with you or not.

I see this all the time: Successful, talented people position themselves as an expert, only to share an inconsistent message that speaks to too many people. It leaves them asking, "Is this for me?"

So, they schedule a call because they think it might be, but within minutes on the call it's clear to both of you they are not the right fit. Another wasted call, another slot in your calendar taken, another lead not converted into a customer.

If you're messaging is correct and relevant, you will attract the perfect person.

If it isn't, you'll continue to get unqualified leads on the phone, and they will continue to waste your time (and worse ... you will keep wasting theirs!).

Related: 11 Ways to Boost Your Sales Performance

3. The ask

Finally, if you want qualified leads on the phone who are ready to take action, you need to ask. Inside your messaging, ask if this is for them. Make it clear. Be specific. Literally ask them to think about whether this is what they need.

Before we grab a call with anyone (for any of our programs) we ask them some specific questions:

• Are you generating between $20,000 and $50,000 per month, and ready to lay a foundation for seven figures?
• Do you have a high-ticket offer (at least $2,000-plus)?
• Do you want to scale to seven figures over the next 90 days?

Too many entrepreneurs fear this approach. They worry about scaring people off.

Well here's the truth: You need to scare people off.

This isn't about more, more, more, remember. This is about you getting the right people on the phone. You need to get your messaging on point, and ask them if they're in the right place.

If they are, they will think, Yep, this is me. I need to speak to this person. If not, they won't arrange that call, and they won't waste your time (or their own).

Learning how to pre-qualify leads before they jump on a phone call has been one of the most profitable lessons I've learned in recent years. Follow this process and you will save time, increase your conversions and lower your costs.