Custom Questions

Custom questions let you collect specific information that matters to your business. SalesPartner's standard questions cover the basics. Custom questions fill the gaps.

Why add custom questions: - Get specific info your industry needs - Qualify leads on criteria unique to your business - Reduce back-and-forth later by asking upfront - Screen for factors that matter to you

Examples: - "How did you hear about us?" (marketing tracking) - "Have you filed an insurance claim?" (roofing) - "Are you pre-approved for a mortgage?" (real estate) - "What's your project timeline?" (construction)

Custom questions work alongside SalesPartner's built-in qualification. They add to the conversation without replacing the standard flow.

Custom questions are asked early in the conversation, after basic contact information is collected.

The flow: 1. Lead reaches out 2. SalesPartner collects contact info (name, phone, email) 3. Custom questions are asked (1-2 per message) 4. Standard qualification continues 5. Scheduling happens once qualified

Why early? Asking custom questions upfront ensures you get the information before scheduling happens. If you need to know budget before booking a call, ask it as a custom question.

Natural conversation: Questions blend into the conversation. SalesPartner doesn't fire them all at once. It asks 1-2 per message, waiting for responses before continuing.

What if they don't answer? If a lead doesn't answer a custom question, SalesPartner moves on. The question gets asked once. No one likes being badgered with the same question repeatedly.

Adding custom questions is straightforward. Think about what you absolutely need to know before scheduling a meeting.

To add a custom question: 1. Go to Settings 2. Find Custom Questions or Lead Qualification 3. Click Add Question 4. Type your question exactly as you want it asked 5. Save

Question formatting: Write questions the way you'd actually ask them. Conversational and clear works best.

Good question format: - "What's your approximate budget for this project?" - "How did you hear about us?" - "When are you hoping to get started?"

Poor question format: - "Budget range for project scope evaluation:" (too formal) - "Marketing attribution source?" (jargon) - "Timeline?" (too vague)

Keep it short: Aim for 5-15 words per question. Long questions confuse people and feel like a survey.

Limit quantity: Stick to 3-5 custom questions maximum. More than that and leads feel interrogated.

Custom questions are asked but not enforced. SalesPartner asks each question once and captures whatever the lead shares.

How it works: - Each question is asked during the conversation - If the lead answers, the answer is recorded - If the lead doesn't answer, the conversation continues - No blocking or nagging for unanswered questions

The philosophy: Real conversations don't demand every question be answered. If someone dodges a question, you move on. SalesPartner does the same.

Getting better answers: If you're not getting answers to certain questions, consider: - Is the question too personal too early? - Is the wording confusing? - Is it something leads genuinely don't know yet?

Critical information: If something is truly required (like service location), that's handled in standard qualification, not custom questions. Custom questions are for "nice to know" information.

Answers to custom questions appear in the lead's profile alongside other collected information.

Where to find answers: - Open any contact or conversation - Look at the lead details or qualification section - Custom question answers are listed with the questions

Formatting: Answers are captured exactly as the lead phrased them. You see their actual response, not a categorized interpretation.

Example: - Question: "What's your budget for this project?" - Answer: "Probably around $5,000 to $7,000 depending on materials"

Unanswered questions: If a custom question wasn't answered, it shows as blank or "Not provided." This tells you the question was asked but the lead didn't respond.

Using the data: Custom question answers help you: - Prepare for calls with context - Prioritize leads based on their answers - Track marketing effectiveness (if you ask how they found you) - Identify patterns in your leads

The quality of your questions determines the quality of answers you get. Here's how to write questions that work.

Ask one thing at a time: - Good: "What's your timeline?" - Bad: "What's your timeline and budget?"

Be specific: - Good: "What year was your home built?" - Bad: "Tell me about your property."

Use plain language: - Good: "Have you gotten quotes from other companies?" - Bad: "What's your competitive consideration status?"

Consider the lead's perspective: - Can they answer this easily? - Do they know this information yet? - Is this appropriate to ask before meeting?

Good question examples: - "How urgent is this project for you?" - "Who else will be involved in the decision?" - "What's prompted you to look into this now?" - "Have you worked with a company like ours before?"

Questions to avoid: - Credit-related questions (too personal too early) - Questions they can't answer yet ("What's your exact square footage?") - Leading questions ("You want the premium option, right?")

Test and refine: Start with a few questions. Review responses after a week. Adjust or replace questions that consistently go unanswered.