Why a filtering process is essential for a service business
Over time I’ve developed an in-take process for potential clients that also serves as a filtering process. It filters out prospects that don’t fit my business model or otherwise could be problematic to work with. Recently, I advised a client to create his own filtering process, so that he could use it to determine a viable client from someone who might otherwise use his time and resources up.
The point of having a filtering process is that it enables you to protect your valuable time and resources for the people who are willing to pay for them. A filtering process is a policy that defines what qualifies someone as your client.
The first qualification is the need the prospect has. The prospect wouldn’t be meeting with you if s/he didn’t have a need.
The Second Qualification is if you can actually address the prospect’s need or need to refer him/her onto someone else.
The Third Qualification is that the prospect is willing to commit/pay for your services. If the prospect hedges on this qualification, then s/he isn’t ready to buy. By hedging I don’t mean asking questions, so much as I mean that the prospect finds the idea of spending money to be problematic. If that’s the case, then instead of trying to convince him/her to do so, simply let it go.
The Fourth Qualification is that the prospect is willing to commit to the necessary time and effort involved in doing their part to make the process work. If I’m hired, one of the things I do is provide accountability for the client’s efforts to integrate what I’m helping them do into their business structure. This means the client has to do some work. If this is intimidating to a potential client, it may be that s/he isn’t ready to go ahead with the proposed work. This needs to be respected, but also serves as a qualifying point.
There can be other qualifications as well. The ones I mention here are part of my filtering process. It’s important you develop your own process so that you can simplify your client intake process and keep your resources for the clients that need them.
