Have you ever gotten to the end of your demo and wondered how it was going to end?

Wondered not only if the prospect was going to move forward, but also what it would take and how long that might take?

If you have, then you’re probably missing one of the most important “pre-qualifying” questions you should be asking on each and every demo call before you launch into your actual presentation.

Let’s review briefly: We all know that “you can’t close an unqualified lead.” Yet that’s still what many sales reps and teams are trying to do. If you weren’t able to fully qualify a prospect during the initial call, then remember: You can and should be starting your demo call with a brief “re-qualification” set of questions.

And the most important of these questions is this:

After you’ve asked the other qualifying questions (for a full treatment of this subject, see my book, Power Phone Scripts), you should end with this question:

“And last question: If, after the end of this presentation, you say to yourself, ‘Yes! This is exactly what I’m looking for,’ when would you want to start working with us, and what is the process you’d have to go through to get approval?”

Simple, yet powerful question, isn’t it?

And wouldn’t you rather know now than wait until the end?

Knowing what your prospect is thinking in advance eliminates the surprise of the inevitable stall at the end. It also gives you the leverage you need to tailor your presentation, build value, get buy in, and of finding ways of working together sooner.

Try this today and this week during the beginning of your demos and listen to how your prospects respond. You’ll be more in charge and you’ll become a better closer as a result!

Further resources are available in the Mr. Inside Sales blog by clicking here.