5 Ways to Spot a Serious Buyer (Before You Waste Time on the Wrong Leads)

Are you wasting time on the wrong leads? You’re not alone. Custom integrators and home automation pros spend countless hours on calls that go nowhere. The good news? You can spot a serious buyer before even picking up the phone, saving you time and increasing your close rate.

Here are 5 key signs that a lead is worth your time (and how to filter them out automatically with Key Light).

Red Flag: “I’m just looking around” or “Doesn’t Alexa do everything I want?”

Serious Buyer: “I need a home security system with remote access and video monitoring.”

What to Do:

• Pre-qualify leads with a short online form that asks about their project scope.
• Use Key Light’s automated lead responses to gauge interest based on their answers.

A serious buyer has done some research and knows at least the basics of what they want.

Red Flag: “My handy-man said they would install it for…”

Serious Buyer: “I have a budget of around $7,000-$10,000 for this project.”

What to Do:

• Use a lead qualification form that asks about budget upfront (or at least a price range). This greatly depends on the campaign. If you’re focused on service work, you could mention how much your first hour of work costs. 
• Automate your first response to educate leads on average pricing, so time-wasters drop off.

If a lead is hesitant to talk about budget, they may not be ready to buy.

Red Flag: “I might want to do this in 6 months or maybe next year.”

Serious Buyer: “We’re moving into our house in 4 weeks and need installation ASAP” or “We’re building our home and are working with our builder to schedule our low voltage phase.”

What to Do:

• Look out for indecisive vocabulary such as, “if, maybe, might, etc.”
• Ask for their ideal installation timeframe during the initial lead capture.
• Use automation to prioritize leads based on urgency.
• If they’re not ready yet, put them into a follow-up, educational, sequence that keeps them engaged, ie, “7 Questions Your Low Voltage Integrator Doesn’t Want You to Know”.

Leads with no clear timeline are usually still in research mode—not ready to buy.

Red Flag: “Can I get a quote?” (with no details or context).”

Serious Buyer: “I would like complete surveillance coverage around my house with facial recognition, can you provide that?”

What to Do:

• Pay attention to the types of questions they ask.
• Use automation to send an FAQ email before your call to weed out low-interest leads.

Buyers who compare options or ask about features are further down the sales funnel.

Red Flag: They say, “Let me check with my spouse and get back to you.” (And you never hear from them again.)

Serious Buyer: “What do I need to do to get on your schedule? What’s the next step?”

What to Do:

• Give leads an easy way to book a consultation or demo with one click.
• Use follow-up automation to nudge hesitant buyers and remind them why now is the time to act.

A serious buyer moves forward without excessive back-and-forth.

Having an ads campaign or website with weak or indecisive messaging spawns bad leads and tire-kickers.

Let your messaging and automations do the work for you.

• Our Key Light app automatically pre-screens leads, so you only talk to serious buyers.
• Filters out low-budget, low-interest inquiries.
• Helps you follow up at the right time, with the right message.

Stop wasting time. Close more deals. Get started today – no contracts, no hassle.