How to Turn Your Suspects Into Qualified Prospects

Ben confided in me about the four types of people in his database: suspects, prospects, clients, and the dead. Really?

Curious, I asked Ben to clarify the difference between suspects and prospects. Suspects, he explained, were just names pulled from a list his company had purchased. And boy, were those supposed “leads” frustrating. No matter how many times he called—six to 10 attempts, easily—he couldn't reach anyone. The cold calling was becoming a grind, and he dreaded picking up the phone.

Prospects, though? A totally different story. Those were people referred to him by someone they trusted. When Ben reached out to these prospects, he got an appointment almost immediately.

So, I asked him the obvious question: "Why are you wasting so much time on suspects who might not even need your product?"

Silence.

I hit him with another question: "What if you only contacted qualified prospects? How would that change your business?"

(Image attribution: icetrayimages794)

The idea floored him. He'd never considered that he could eliminate suspects entirely. (And let's be honest—those dead contacts were just taking up space.)

What About You?

If you're tired of cold calling, or wasting time on people who don't know you or care about your product, it's time to rethink your approach. Referral selling isn't just a mindset shift. It transforms how you spend your time, where you focus your energy, and how you engage with potential clients.

It requires total trust in the referral process and a commitment to daily activities that actually move the needle. It's not just about making calls; it’s about making connections. It’s about quality over quantity, because you don’t need to make as many calls if you’re only calling qualified prospects. 

The Payoff for Ben

Once Ben committed to a referral program, everything changed. Here's what he gained:

1. Only Qualified Prospects: Every call was with someone who actually wanted to talk.
2. Faster Closes: Deals that used to take months now closed in weeks.
3. Higher Earnings: No more wasted time on unqualified leads—and time is money.
4. Unprecedented Conversion Rate: Because he only focused on qualified prospects, he converted 50 to 70 percent of his prospects—unheard of numbers in his industry.
5. Prestige: Ben became the top salesperson in his company for three years running.
6. Renewed Enthusiasm: The spark was back.

Now, you might be thinking, "Renewed enthusiasm? I thought salespeople loved to sell." And we do—but what we love even more is having meaningful business conversations with clients who are eager to talk. No one enjoys wasting their time, and that’s exactly what happens with cold calling.

Ditch Your Suspects and Double Down on Prospects

Plenty of people say business is getting tougher, that it's harder than ever to sign new clients or even get prospects to take your call. But here's the reality: You need to gear up, not give up. 

As salespeople, our job isn't to wait for opportunities to fall into our laps. It's to create them. So, why waste another minute chasing suspects? Focus on prospects—the ones who matter, the ones who will pick up the phone, the ones who are ready to engage. And focus on the key sales activities that get you in front of those qualified prospects.

Get ready to close those big deals and fall back in love with selling. It's time to turn suspects into history and prospects into profits.

If you’re curious how you stand on referral selling, sign up for my newsletter, and you’ll have access to my Referral IQ Quiz. It’s 13 Yes/No questions and should take you less than three minutes to complete. It’s your checklist for referral selling.

(Featured image attribution: jopanuwatd)