You learn about a valuable treasure, but it is hidden at the summit of a massive mountain. To reach the summit, you must overcome the extreme cold, exhaustion, and high elevations. To make matters worse, you have no idea how much the treasure is worth or whether you’ll be able to spend it.

Would you take up the challenge?

Your prospects are constantly confronted with this dilemma. They’re undoubtedly scared by the energy, time, and resources required to traverse the procurement process, let alone integrate your product into their system and procedures, even if they’re attracted by the results you describe.

That’s why buyers who don’t have a strong desire to change don’t take action. Use these seven questions to identify prospects who aren’t motivated, so you can instill a sense of urgency in them.

“How have you previously attempted to overcome this challenge?”

Prospects will frequently try internal or modest efforts before seeking support from outside sources. If the buyer’s problem is significant, she will most likely be able to outline at least one approach she has utilized.

“What were the results?” is a good follow-up inquiry to this one.

Her response will reveal the urgency of the situation. If her remedy failed miserably or the situation deteriorated, she is likely to be desirous of change. If her current circumstances are pretty steady, she is less likely to want to change.

“What makes this such a high priority right now?”

Buyers are frequently keen for change when they are faced with compelling events or deadlines. Your prospect could be responding to a shift in the industry or a new company effort. Maybe she’s in charge of completing a target by a certain date. Or maybe she’s discovered the true cost of a roadblock to her business.

The buyer is motivated to act for the reasons stated above, as well as any other time considerations. If she responds to this inquiry with something like, “It’s our slow season,” or “I had some extra hours, so I figured I’d look into it,” you should be wary of her willingness to change things up.

“Change is difficult. How serious are you about changing your [business area] strategy?”

Use this query with prospects who want a straightforward, straightforward conversational manner. It will help you distinguish between a client who is undecided about taking the plunge and a buyer who is committed.

It’s worth noting that your product isn’t mentioned in this query. Your prospect may be sold on the concept of purchasing a solution, but she isn’t sold on your solution. You can next show why your offering is the greatest for her needs once you’ve piqued her interest in change.

“This is what a consumer needs to be successful with our product.” Typically, this amounts to X hours each week (or some other metric that shows the extent of the commitment). Is this something you’re willing to put your heart and soul into?”

The real work for many products doesn’t start until after the purchasers have signed on the dotted line. Some salesmen are hesitant to tell their prospects this because they believe it would scare them away, which is understandable.

However, this is to the rep’s advantage. Prospects who are unwilling to invest the time and effort required to reach a product’s full potential aren’t a good fit. They’re extremely unlikely to purchase… and if they do, they’ll be disappointed.

You should qualify your sales prospects for commitment in the same way that you qualify them for need, money, authority, timetable, and so on. This query will weed out customers who aren’t serious about resolving their company’s problems. As a bonus, it establishes realistic expectations for buyers who are serious about resolving this problem.

“What is your timeframe on a scale of one to ten, with one being “never going to buy” and ten being “ready right now?”

To finish a deal, it must have a lot of momentum. Although the consumer may appear enthusiastic about your product and its prospective benefits, her appetite for change isn’t strong enough. To boost it, assist her in calculating the costs of inaction. What are the drawbacks of continuing with the status quo?

Ideally, your prospect will respond with a score of seven to nine. This means that she will make a decision shortly. Anything less shows that this isn’t a key priority for her.

“Can you tell me about your implementation strategy?”

Your prospect has narrowed in on a certain solution type if she’s in the Decision stage of the buyer’s journey. She’s now comparing products from several sellers to see which one best suits her needs.

However, reaching this point does not guarantee a sale. Inquire about the buyer’s implementation strategy to discover how committed she is. “Where do you see this product fitting into your [process/routine/existing toolkit]?” is a good question to ask if you’re selling a non-software product.

Committed prospects will have some notion of how they’ll introduce a product to their team or integrate it into their workflow, if not a fully fleshed-out strategy.

Don’t dismiss your prospect because she says, “I don’t have an implementation strategy,” “I haven’t gotten that far yet,” or something similar. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to provide value and gain authority. Offer to walk her through the implementation processor to assist her in determining how she will utilize the product.

“Will anyone else be involved in the decision-making process?” “Are they aware that we’re conversing?”

This question is used by Jeff Hoffman, author of the YourSalesMBATM training program, to identify how serious buyers are.

If your prospect is desperate to change, she’ll quickly enlist the help of other decision-makers. The earlier they become involved, the more quickly the purchasing process will be.

A less enthusiastic prospect will most likely postpone this move. It’s a waste of time to include her friends when she’s undecided about pulling the trigger.

Consider respectfully pushing back if your prospect falls into the second camp. “We spent some time discussing [X challenge] and [Y target,” you might remark. It appears like achieving [results] would have a significant influence on you. Is there a reason you haven’t enlisted the help of the rest of your team?”

Conclusion

You may need to convince highly driven prospects that your solution is the greatest fit for their needs. However, you may need to demonstrate that they require a solution before you can demonstrate the value of your unique product. These seven questions can help you distinguish between the two types of buyers.