John writes: "I keep getting leads, but nobody buys. They ask questions, say they'll think about it, and I never hear back. How do I tell who's serious?"

The belief shift: Tire kickers aren't born. They're made—by your marketing, your process, and your sales approach.

Check your marketing first. A cleaning company kept getting calls for floor polishing. They didn't do that. Turns out their stock photos showed shiny, polished floors. The signal didn't match the service.

Self-qualification works. One company's form ended with: "If we're a good match, we'll let you know within 24 hours." Scott felt like he won when he got the call. The dynamic flipped—he was selling them on himself, not the other way around.

Not all leads are equal. The person in line with money in hand is not the same as the person on the phone asking questions. Treat them accordingly.

The Visibility Trap: If you don't know the problems you solve, you can't attract the right people.

Before the call: Think "I'm here to qualify, not pitch."

During the call: Ask "What brings you in today?"—like a doctor. Diagnose before prescribing. Are you solving their problem or convincing them they have one?

The close: Your tire kickers aren't really tire kickers. They just haven't figured out that you're the solution to their problem.

Got a business question? Ask Scott here: scotttodd.net/ask