Best Practices for Qualifying Consulting Leads

Early in my freelance career, I used to get excited anytime someone booked a discovery call. This could be a big client! I’d think. But half the time, the call would go like this: • “What’s your rate?” (before we even talked about their needs) • “Can you do this for exposure?” (…no.) • “We just need a few quick tweaks.” (but they wanted a full rewrite) I wasted so much time on low-value leads because I wasn’t qualifying them before the call. Great clients don’t haggle over pricing, ghost you for weeks, or expect luxury service for bargain-bin rates. They value expertise, respect your process, and understand that quality work is an investment. But here’s the thing: It’s your job to filter them out before you even get on a call. Before you schedule a discovery call, consider using these filters: 1. Make sure you are qualifying clients with pre-call questions. Ask about budget, goals, and timeline in your intake form. If they dodge or lowball? 🚩 2. Consider adding some pricing visibility. You don’t have to list your full rates on your website (I don't) or even give them if they ask in the first communication. But you can signal your pricing level (e.g., “Projects start at $X”). This filters out those looking for a bargain. 3. Look for communication clues. Are they professional in emails? Do they respect your process? If they’re already difficult before working with you, it won’t get better. 4. Prioritize referrals over random inquiries. Clients who come from referrals often have a better understanding of your value than cold leads. Your time is valuable. Spend it on clients who respect that. What’s your biggest red flag when it comes to spotting less-than-ideal clients? ____________________________________________________ We talk about topics like this and more on the Boss Responses podcast. Are you a subscriber?

If you want to work with me, you have to jump through some hoops. I have a form for you to fill out and a price sheet for you to review before you can schedule an introductory meeting. Why? Because I have to know that you're serious. This form saves me time. It saves you time. And I'm only one person running a business, so time is precious. 🔻 🔻 🔻 So why am I telling you this? Because I'd like you to think about how much time YOU waste talking to clients who aren't a good match for your services. 🤔 What if you could pre-qualify your potential clients? 🎉 You can! And your website is the perfect place to do it. 🔻 🔻 🔻 Here are some ideas to get you started: 👉 Provide a list of prerequisites that visitors read before they schedule a meeting 👉 Be crystal clear about who you work with (and who you don't!) 👉 Talk about your processes and how things work so potential clients know beforehand if your working styles will gel 👉 Show your visitors how you're paid upfront so that they know they can afford you 👉 Be very clear about the services you offer so potential clients know if you'll be a good match 👉 Be yourself – in your videos, in your messaging, and on social media – so potential clients can be confident that they like and trust you as a person 👉 Make sure you have a robust FAQ section and search on your website so people can get their questions answered BEFORE they call 🔻 🔻 🔻 Do YOU prequalify your prospects before the first meeting?

95% of leads don’t close because they aren’t qualified. I’ve seen this happen over and over. Businesses chase volume, thinking more leads equal more sales. But when those leads aren’t ready to buy, it wastes time and resources. Here’s why unqualified leads hurt your pipeline: - Sales spends time chasing people who won’t convert. - Cold leads clutter your CRM and lower morale. - Marketing looks busy but doesn’t drive real results. The solution? Qualify leads without losing volume. Here’s the 3-step framework I’ve used with my clients: 1. Use 2-factor lead scoring. Assign points based on behavior and ICP match. For example, downloads, email opens, or visits to pricing pages. High scores go to sales; low scores go into nurture campaigns. 2. Set clear SQL criteria. What makes a lead sales-ready? Define it with your sales team: budget, authority, and engagement. Don’t pass leads until they meet these criteria. 3. Nurture colder leads. Not all leads are ready now, but many will be later. Use email sequences, retargeting, and content to keep them engaged. When they’re ready, they’ll reach out—or you’ll know it’s time to follow up. When you focus on quality, you don’t lose volume - you gain efficiency. Sales stops chasing dead ends. Marketing drives real revenue. The best part? Your close rate improves without needing more leads.