Qualifying the prospect
Qualify before you propose
Last updated: November 2026Published by Tim Kilroy
A prospect is qualified when you can name their problem in their own words, it is worth money, and they decide.
In Tim Kilroy's five-stage agency funnel, qualified is the stage between interested and proposed. Agencies that skip it write proposals for people who were never going to buy, which inflates the pipeline and hides where deals really leak. Qualifying is also how you protect your rate.
On this page
How do I qualify a prospect for my agency?
Confirm three things out loud, together with the prospect, before anything goes in writing.
There is a real problem
You can repeat it back in their words and they agree.Solving it is worth money
The cost of the problem is bigger than the cost of your work.They are the one who decides
Or you know exactly who does and how they will be brought in.
What qualifying means in an agency sales process
Definition
Qualified prospect (Tim Kilroy)
A qualified prospect is someone with whom you have both agreed, out loud, that there is a real problem, that it is worth money, and that they are the decision maker. It counts as qualified only when you can name the problem in the prospect's words, not when you feel good about the call.
Qualifying starts with an ideal client filter
Tim's advice is to turn your ideal client description into an operating filter used in real time, because most founders only recognize a good client in hindsight. He lists an ideal client as the first of three keys to escaping the owner-operator trap, alongside scalable lead generation and the right offer.
Positioning makes this easier: the narrower the buyer you name, the faster you can tell if a prospect fits. See vertical positioning for agencies.
Qualified vs. not yet qualified
| Signal | Qualified | Not yet qualified |
|---|---|---|
| Problem | Named in their words and confirmed | Vague, or only described by you |
| Value | Cost of the problem is clear | No sense of what it is worth |
| Decision | Decision maker known and involved | Unknown approval path |
| Champion | Can explain you to their boss | Likes you but cannot sell you internally |
| Price conversation | Anchored on outcome | Anchored on your hourly rate |
Can your contact sell you to their boss?
Often the person on the call is not the person who signs. Tim writes about helping your champion sell your agency internally: give them the language, the problem statement, and the outcome so they can carry it into rooms you are not in. Then move to a follow-up that recaps their words and back to the sales training guide for agency owners.
Common questions
- What does qualifying the prospect mean for an agency?
- Qualifying the prospect means confirming out loud that there is a real problem, that solving it is worth money, and that you are talking to the person who decides. In Tim Kilroy’s funnel, a lead counts as qualified only when you can name the problem in the prospect’s own words. See it in the full FAQ
- What is the difference between a discovery call and a sales call?
- A discovery call builds understanding; a sales call presents a solution and asks for a decision. Tim Kilroy treats them as separate stages. The goal of discovery is simply to earn the next call. The sales call comes after you understand the problem, so the proposal reflects their situation rather than your standard service. See it in the full FAQ
- Why does my agency keep losing deals on price?
- Usually because the buyer cannot see the specific outcome you create, so the rate is the only thing left to compare. Tim Kilroy’s fix is to shift the conversation to the outcome, raise the floor on who you take, and walk away from deals that anchor you low. Price objections are often positioning problems. See it in the full FAQ
- Should my agency give away free strategy on sales calls?
- Tim Kilroy argues against unlimited free strategy. One option he writes about is a paid diagnostic, a scoped, priced first engagement that lets the prospect experience your thinking while you get paid for it. It also filters out prospects who want ideas but never intended to hire. See it in the full FAQ
- What if I am the only person at my agency who can sell?
- That is the most common pattern Tim Kilroy sees, and he calls it founder magic. The founder senses objections and spots real deals but cannot explain how. The work is to drag that knowledge into a documented process, then prove the team can sell without you before you step away. See it in the full FAQ