How Long Should A Qualifying Call Take?

45 minutes into the first call, you know a lot about this couple.

You know the style of home they want, what's on their wish list and why they've decided to build...

Then you ask about their land, and it turns out they haven't bought any yet.

That's 45 minutes of your week spent on a discovery conversation with someone who was never going to pass qualifying.

Asking about land before any of the open questions would have found that out at the start.

How Long Should A Qualifying Call Take?

Allow 15 to 25 minutes to qualify a new enquiry. That covers the qualifying questions only. If the prospect passes, discovery comes next, and discovery takes longer, either on the same call or on one you book straight afterwards. Use the 15 to 25 minutes as a limit on every conversation and as a guide to how quickly you should be getting through your questions.

Take the full 20 minutes when the call needs it, because 20 minutes on the phone is cheaper than an hour in a meeting with someone you'd have disqualified over the phone.

Why Should Qualifying And Discovery Be Separate?

On the qualifying side you ask closed, factual questions with yes or no answers, and each answer either keeps the prospect in or takes them out. Do they have land? It's settled with the paperwork done, it's settling soon, or they're still looking.

In discovery you ask open-ended questions, follow every answer with another question, and find out why this project matters to them, what worries them and what they've been through before. How to nail your discovery calls covers that conversation.

Run qualifying first and only go into discovery once the prospect has passed. Discovery conversations run long, so save that time for people who fit what you build.

Qualify every enquiry on that first call, whether it came in as an inbound phone call, an email asking you to ring, a reply to one of your marketing emails, or a free 30-minute phone consultation booked by someone who's been on your database for six months. A free phone consultation is a qualifying call with a friendlier name.

The questions themselves cover why they contacted you, where they're building, their land, whether the home fits what you specialise in, how far into the process they are, who the decision-makers are and when they want to move in. How to qualify and convert leads explains why each one works as a disqualifier. Budget isn't on that list. Ask about budget in discovery, once you've built enough rapport to get a realistic figure, which is the approach in how to get your prospects to tell you their true budget.

How Do You Keep A Qualifying Call On Track?

Ask a closed question, then clarify the answer with follow-up questions until you have the detail.

If they've settled on their land, ask for the address and the lot number, whether the block is flat or sloping, and whether there's an existing dwelling on it.

If they already have designs drawn up, don't write them off on the spot. Ask how long ago the plans were drawn, how much they spent and who drew them. That tells you whether they're committed to someone else's plans and pricing them with several builders, or whether they have a few ideas on paper and could still start a design with you.

When you ask who will be involved in the design process, get the names and the relationships. Without that you can spend an hour with a prospect before finding out they're researching on behalf of their daughter and won't make any of the decisions.

When you ask when they'd like to move in, work backwards from that date to see whether the timeline is realistic, and use it in every follow-up afterwards.

The same closed questions are how you take the call back when a talkative prospect starts steering it. Ask the next closed question and clarify the answer. Let them do most of the talking, but keep choosing what they talk about.

As soon as they fail a question, stop. You don't need to finish the list to know they're disqualified.

What Should You Do Before You Dial?

Answer three questions before every call.

1. Why should they speak to me? Because you can guide them through designing their home and steer them away from the mistakes along the way. Be sure of that answer before you dial, so you sound confident on the phone.
2. What do I want them to do? On a qualifying call, that's to continue through qualifying, go into discovery if they pass, and book an in-person meeting with you.
3. How can I add value on this call? Most of the time that means asking good questions and listening, then talking about similar projects you've built once you know what they want.

Then look up everything you already know about the person. Check their name, location and anything they've told you. See whether they've enquired before and why it didn't go any further. If your website tracking shows the pages they've viewed recently, look at those too. Note anything you'll need to clarify.

Script your opening as carefully as your questions. On a booked call, ring at the time you agreed, confirm the appointment, and ask whether they're happy to answer a few questions now so you're fully prepared for the conversation. Getting that yes gives you permission to run the rest of the call.

What Happens To The Notes After The Call?

Take notes during the call. A pen and a legal pad work for most people, or write the answers on your script next to each question. Type them if you'd rather, as long as you get them down while you're talking.

Transfer the notes into your CRM as soon as the call ends. Make them detailed enough that anyone in your company could read them and pick up the opportunity where you left off. If you're away for four weeks and the prospect rings back, whoever answers needs to see what was said without asking them to repeat it.

A qualifying call that runs 15 to 25 minutes and ends with full notes in the CRM gives you a clear yes or no on every enquiry, so your discovery time goes on the prospects who can actually build with you.

Every first call that drifts into discovery before you've checked the land, the location and the decision-makers costs you time you could have spent with a prospect who fits. If you'd like help building a qualifying call your whole team can run, book a 15-minute chat with our team.