How to Tell a Hot Lead From a Tyre-Kicker in the First 60 Seconds

The four signals of a serious buyer

After listening to tens of thousands of service calls, the same buying signals show up again and again. A serious caller will give you most of these in the first minute.

• They describe the problem, not the price: 'Our hot water tank is leaking through the ceiling' beats 'How much do you charge?'
• They give location details without being asked: 'I'm in Maroubra, near the beach end.'
• They mention timing or urgency: 'Can someone come today?'
• They agree to next steps: 'Yes, a morning slot works.'

Red flags that cost you money

Some callers will never buy. They want free advice, a benchmark price to negotiate with someone else, or confirmation that their cheapest quote is reasonable. Politely taking their details and moving on protects your calendar.

• They refuse to share location or property details
• They won't describe the actual problem — only the dollar figure
• They want a quote before you'll see the job site
• They've called four other businesses in the last hour

The 5-question qualification script

Train every answerer — human or system — to collect these five things before offering a booking: name, location, service needed, urgency, and access. These five answers give you 80% of what you need to quote or dispatch.

Automating qualification at scale

Once you know your qualification rules, you can build them into your call flow. High-intent calls get booked. Medium-intent calls get a callback slot. Low-intent calls get a polite message and a link to your pricing page. Your best people only talk to your best opportunities.