Research shows that tire kickers—unqualified or non-serious prospects—can be a huge drag on your business. Sales teams can spend up to 50% of their time dealing with unqualified leads, leading to wasted energy, longer sales cycles, and reduced productivity.
In fact, according to CSO Insights, improving lead qualification can boost conversion rates by 27%, allowing businesses to focus on prospects who are truly ready to buy.
If you’re tired of tire kickers taking up valuable time, this blog is for you. Below, you’ll find actionable strategies for filtering out them at each stage of the sales process.
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Table of Content
- Prospecting Stage: Weed Out Tire Kickers Before They Even Contact You
- Qualifying Stage: Separate Tire Kickers from Serious Buyers
- Closing Stage: Turn Qualified Leads into Customers and Avoid Tire Kickers
- Follow-Up Stage: Don’t Waste Time Chasing Tire Kickers
- Conclusion
Prospecting Stage: Weed Out Tire Kickers Before They Even Contact You
The first step to eliminating tire kickers is to ensure they don’t even make it into your sales funnel. By optimizing your marketing messaging and setting clear expectations, you can filter out non-serious leads before they ever reach out.
1. Use Specific Language in Marketing
To avoid attracting tire kickers, your marketing needs to be clear and specific. Instead of general language that appeals to everyone, use targeted language that speaks directly to your ideal customers.
For example, rather than saying “We offer marketing services,” say, “We help $1M+ businesses scale through advanced marketing automation.” This specificity will attract qualified prospects and repel unqualified prospects who aren’t ready to make a real investment.
2. Set Upfront Expectations
One of the easiest ways to prevent tire kickers from wasting your time is to set upfront expectations regarding your pricing, timelines, and service details. Include this information in your marketing materials and early communications to filter out those who aren’t a good fit.
For example, if your service starts at $5,000, make that clear upfront. Serious buyers will appreciate the transparency, while they will move on without wasting your time.
3. Limit Access to Free Resources
Offering too much free content can attract tire kickers who are just looking for a free ride. Instead, limit access to your free resources by requiring prospects to fill out a form with qualifying questions. This not only filters out unqualified prospects but also gives you valuable information about your leads.
For example, asking about budget and readiness can help you determine if a prospect is worth pursuing.
4. Focus on Solving a Pain Point
People who are serious about solving a specific problem are much more likely to convert than tire kickers who are just browsing. Make sure your marketing is focused on solving a clear pain point rather than listing features.
For example, instead of saying “We offer CRM software,” say “Our CRM helps businesses automate sales follow-ups, saving up to 10 hours a week.”
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Qualifying Stage: Separate Tire Kickers from Serious Buyers
Once prospects have entered your funnel, the next step is to qualify them to ensure they’re serious about buying. This stage is critical for filtering out tire kickers who may seem interested but aren’t ready to commit.
1. Create a Qualification Process
Having a formal qualification process helps you quickly identify whether a prospect is worth your time. This can be a questionnaire, pre-call survey, or even a set of questions during an initial consultation. By asking questions like, “What’s your budget?”, “What’s your timeline for solving this issue?”, “What’s your biggest challenge right now?” or “When are you planning to make a decision?”. You can filter out those who aren’t ready to take action.
2. Offer Paid Consultations
Free consultations are a magnet for tire kickers. If you find that most of your consultations are going nowhere, consider switching to paid consultations. This is a powerful way to separate serious prospects from those just looking for free advice. When people pay for a consultation, they’re more likely to be committed and ready to invest in your full service.
3. Set a Minimum Order or Service Requirement
Setting a minimum order or service requirement is another effective way to eliminate tire kickers. For example, if you offer consulting services, you could require a minimum 3-month commitment. This will immediately filter out prospects who aren’t serious, allowing you to focus on those who are ready to make a real investment.
Closing Stage: Turn Qualified Leads into Customers and Avoid Tire Kickers
Now that you’ve qualified your leads, it’s time to move them towards closing. Even at this stage, you can encounter tire kickers who hesitate or delay decisions. These strategies will help you close deals faster while ensuring you’re working with serious buyers.
1. Highlight Value, Not Features
Tire kickers often focus on features because they’re not ready to buy, while serious prospects care about value. When closing, shift the conversation from features to value by showing how your product or service solves their specific problem.
For example, instead of saying, “Our CRM has 50+ integrations,” say, “Our CRM saves your team 10 hours a week by automating follow-ups.”
2. Ask for a Decision Timeline
If a prospect can’t commit to a decision timeline, they might be a tire kicker. Always ask, “When do you plan to make a decision?” If they avoid the question or say they’re not sure, it’s a clear signal they’re not ready to move forward. Setting a timeline helps you avoid unnecessary follow-ups and keeps the deal on track.
3. Use Trial Closes
Trial closes are a great way to gauge whether the prospect is ready to move forward. Ask questions like, “Does this solution meet your needs?” or “Are you ready to proceed to the next step?” This will help you assess their commitment and avoid wasting time on non-serious prospects.
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Follow-Up Stage: Don’t Chase Tire Kickers
The follow-up stage is where many salespeople fall into the trap of chasing cold leads. Here’s how to avoid wasting time on tire kickers who are never going to convert.
1. Limit the Number of Follow-Ups
If a prospect hasn’t responded after three to five follow-ups, it’s time to move on. Continuing to chase non-serious prospects who aren’t engaging is a waste of time and energy. Set a limit on follow-ups and shift your focus to new, qualified leads.
2. Automate Follow-Ups for Non-Responders
For prospects who don’t respond, automation can help keep the follow-up process efficient without wasting time on manual efforts. Set up an automated email sequence to follow up with non-responders, providing value while reminding them of your offer. This keeps you top of mind without spending unnecessary time on tire kickers.
Conclusion
Tire kickers can be a huge drain on your time and resources, but by implementing effective strategies at every stage of your sales process, you can filter them out early and focus on serious buyers.
From using specific language in your marketing to setting clear expectations, and offering paid consultations, to limiting follow-ups, these tactics will help you qualify leads better and close deals faster. By eliminating tire kickers, you’ll not only increase your conversion rates but also free up time to work on growing your business with clients who are ready to invest.
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