Lead qualification questions that sort buyers from browsers.
Twenty-five questions for local service businesses — grouped by need, timeline, budget fit, decision, and the red flags that mark a tire-kicker. Copy any of them into your call script, intake form, or reply.
Need and problem questions
Start here. Get them describing the job in their own words before you talk price or timing.
What made you reach out to us today?
Opens with their reason, not your pitch — the answer tells you how ready they are.
Tell me a bit about what you're trying to fix or get done.
Puts the problem in their words, so you scope the right job instead of guessing.
How long has this been on your list?
A problem that's lingered for months is closer to a decision than a fresh idea.
Have you tried anything to solve it already?
Past attempts reveal budget, frustration, and whether they know what they want.
What does "done right" look like to you here?
Surfaces their standard early, so you can meet it or say it's not your lane.
Is this for your home or a business you run?
Splits residential from commercial jobs — often different pricing, scope, and paperwork.
Timeline and urgency questions
A great fit with no timeline is a maybe. These sales discovery questions tell you which to work first.
When are you hoping to have this handled by?
A date turns a browser into a lead you can schedule and follow up on.
Is there a deadline or event driving the timing?
A move, a season, or a broken system means they act — not just research.
Would you want to get started this week, or are you still gathering options?
Separates "book me now" from "comparing three quotes" in one question.
How soon can you get someone out to look?
Their answer about access shows whether the job can move at all yet.
Is this an emergency or something you're planning ahead for?
Emergencies jump the queue; planned work gets a proper walkthrough.
Budget-fit questions
You can size the money question without asking "what's your budget?" outright.
Have you had an estimate on this before?
Tells you if they know the going rate — or are about to hear it for the first time.
Are you looking for a quick fix or a longer-term solution?
Scope maps to spend, and the answer frames the price before you name it.
Do you have a range in mind for a project like this?
Invites a number without pressure, and flags a mismatch before the visit.
Is this something you're ready to invest in now, or planning for later?
Distinguishes a buyer with a budget from someone pricing a future job.
Decision and logistics questions
Who signs off, where they are, and how they found you — the practical filters.
Are you the owner of the property, or renting?
Owners can approve work; renters may need a landlord's sign-off first.
Will anyone else be part of the decision?
Finds the second decision-maker early, so you don't quote to half the room.
What's the address or zip so I can check we cover your area?
Confirms they're inside your service area before anyone books a slot.
How did you hear about us?
Tells you which channels bring paying work — and warms a referral on the spot.
What's the best number and time to reach you?
Locks the next step so a warm lead doesn't cool off in your inbox.
Browser-detector questions
The red-flag checks that tell you a lead is a tire-kicker before you spend an hour on them.
Are you comparing a few companies, or ready to move forward with the right one?
Names the shopping stage without judgment — you learn where you stand.
If the price and timing work, is there anything holding you back?
Draws out the hidden objection now, instead of after you've quoted.
Is this a project you've decided to do, or still deciding whether to do it?
Separates a funded decision from a daydream you can't schedule.
Are you looking for a quote, or a rough ballpark for planning?
A ballpark-hunter isn't ready to book — respond fast, but spend your time on buyers.
Pick the four or five that fit your trade and drop them into your intake. For the wider playbook, see lead generation and qualification and why speed to lead wins the deal.
How to qualify leads without staffing the phone.
You can ask these on the phone — or your website can ask them for you at 2am. When a visitor lands on your website and starts a conversation, Zurvo answers their questions and works these same qualifying questions into the chat. When they show interest, it asks if they'd like your team to reach out, collects their name and contact, and emails you the answers with a summary of the whole conversation.
You wake up to a qualified lead — need, timing, and contact in one message — instead of a missed form or a voicemail. It doesn't call or text; it handles the website conversation and hands you the lead. That's the same job an AI sales assistant does for bigger teams, sized for a small business. From $39/mo — see pricing or try it live.
Lead qualification questions FAQs
What are lead qualification questions?
They're the short questions you ask an inbound inquiry to learn whether they're a fit before you invest time in a quote or visit — what they need, how soon, whether they can decide, and whether the budget is in range. Good ones sound like a helpful conversation, not an interrogation.
How do you qualify a lead?
Work in order: need first (what are they trying to solve?), then timeline (when?), then decision and budget fit (can they say yes, and is the money in range?). Two or three answers usually tell you whether to book a visit, send a quote, or let it go. The goal is to spend your hours on the people ready to buy.
What is BANT and do small businesses need it?
BANT stands for Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeline — a checklist enterprise sales teams use to score deals. For a local service business it's heavier than you need. The lighter version: is the need clear, is the timing near, and can this person say yes? If those three line up, you have a lead worth chasing.
How many qualifying questions is too many?
On a first contact, three to five is the sweet spot. Enough to sort a buyer from a browser, few enough that it feels like a conversation. Save the rest for the visit or the quote. If a form has fifteen fields, most people abandon it before the one answer you needed.
Can I ask these questions automatically?
Yes — Zurvo asks qualifying questions like these in the chat on your website. When a visitor shows interest, it asks if they'd like your team to reach out, collects their name and contact, and emails you the answers with a summary of the conversation. You get a qualified lead without staffing the chat.
Let your website qualify leads while you work.
Point Zurvo at your website and try it free for 3 days. Set up in about five minutes.