6. Pre-qualifying the prospect. Once you have a commitment to meet, you can save yourself time and eliminate unnecessary callbacks by pre_qualifying the customer. You’ve assumed up to this point that the person you are speaking with is the decision-maker (and that’s a reasonable expectation), but you need to know if there are others involved, such as partner, spouse, manager, etc. You can also expedite the selling process by asking the prospect to have his gas bills available. Better yet, ask what his gas consumption is.

For example:

The pre-qualification process can be accomplished by asking:

“Is there anyone else involved in making a decision to save money on your gas consumption? Will they be available at this time?”

“Please have your gas bills for the past three months available so that I can demonstrate the savings for you.”

By following these six steps and succeeding at each level, you will not only save time but more importantly, you will have a qualified prospect who is eager to learn more. The stage has been set for a productive meeting and sale.

And let’s not forget the impact of this appointment on your overall organization.

You can now set other appointments in the same area or neighborhood on the same day, or, in worst case, you can plan to prospect face-to-face and eliminate unproductive travel.