Distinguishing between qualifying questions and probing questions

Many people get confused about the differences between qualifying questions and probing questions.   Qualifying questions are designed to “qualify” the prospect.  With this type of question, the answer could remove your contact from the prospect pool.  For example, a business with 2 employees might not be a suitable prospect – while a business with 20 employees is a viable prospect.

Probing questions are designed to gather information that will be helpful to you.   For example, you might ask about who their current provider is, so that you can emphasize how your offering compares to their current provider.

Qualifying questions are used to qualify (or exclude) the prospect, while probing questions probe for information that might help you in your future sales efforts.

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