The Secret to Winning Sales

If your sales process feels more like a high-stakes scramble at the 11th hour than a strategic conversation, it might be time to rethink your approach. One of the most powerful—yet surprisingly simple—sales strategies out there is summed up in Sandler's Rule: Qualify Hard, Close Easy.

Let’s break down what that actually means—and why your team should be laser-focused on qualification before delivering another proposal.

🎯 The Core Idea: Win More by Saying "No" More Often

When you qualify hard, you make sure you're talking to the right prospects before you ever get into solution mode.

That means by the time you’re presenting, you’re not guessing. You’re delivering the right solution to the right person, within the right budget, aligned with their exact buying criteria.

That’s when sales become easy.

The magic here? When done correctly, 80% or more of well-qualified prospects say yes. You become the obvious choice, not the desperate one.

😬 What Happens When You Skip Qualification?

Let’s talk about the alternative (which we’ve all been guilty of at some point):

You give a presentation to anyone who shows mild interest.
You hope something sticks.
Your close rate plummets below 50%.
You spend hours chasing dead-end deals.
Your sales calendar is full... but your pipeline isn’t moving.

In short: you work harder, close less, and burn out faster.

📊 3 Types of Sales Systems (Only One You Want)

Let’s keep it simple. There are only three kinds of sales systems out there:

1. Qualify Easy, Close Easy

The "spray and pray" method. Little qualification upfront, and hope for a miracle at the end.
Reality: You walk away with a lot of "let me think about it".

2. Qualify Easy, Close Hard

You don’t ask tough questions early, so you’re left dealing with objections later.
It’s exhausting. And not fun. For anyone.

3. Qualify Hard, Close Easy ✅

You dig deep during discovery.
You know their pain points, budget, decision process.
You only pitch when you’re sure you can help.

Guess which one gets the win without the wear and tear?

🛠 What Does "Qualify Hard" Actually Look Like?

Here’s what high-performing sales teams actually do in the qualification phase:

► Understand company size and revenue early.
This tells you if they even can buy.

► Talk budget upfront.
"Have you allocated funds for this kind of investment?" is not a rude question—it's a smart one.

► Clarify the buying process.
Who’s involved? What does approval look like? What’s the timeline?

►Dig into the pain.
If there’s no clear problem, there’s no urgency. And no deal.

If you get the “I didn’t know it cost that much” objection at the end... that’s not a pricing issue. That’s a qualification issue.

🏆 Want Higher Close Rates?

Here’s the benchmark:

Great salespeople close between 50–80% of their qualified deals.

If you're at 100%, you might be too picky—or missing opportunities.
If you're below 50%, you’re likely pitching to the wrong people.
It’s not about pitching better.
It’s about qualifying better.

💬 Team Talk: Start the Conversation

Ask your team this:

Are we spending more time presenting or qualifying?
What questions are we NOT asking early enough?
What percentage of our deals should we never have proposed?

This isn’t about saying “no” to prospects—it’s about saying “yes” to the right ones.

🚨 Pro Tip: Don’t Wait to Qualify

Qualification isn't a checklist you fill out after the demo.

It’s the first thing you do—and it guides every step after.

That’s what makes the close feel like a natural next step instead of a high-pressure sale

Another Great Sandler Resource!

100 Great Sandler Questions ... and When to Ask Them
Effectively qualifying means asking the right questions at the right time. Use these to get started!