Curiosity vs. Purchase Intent: How to Tell If a Prospect Will Actually Buy
The single most important distinction in founder-led sales
“I’m getting lots of meetings, but nothing closes.”
I hear this from founders constantly. And here’s what I tell them: you’re not broken. You’re experiencing the new reality of B2B sales.
In my conversations with over 200 founders, this is probably the number one challenge that comes up. The calendar is full, the demos are happening, the pilots are running. But revenue? Flat.
The problem isn’t your product. It’s that you’re confusing curiosity with purchase intent.
Why Everybody Wants a Meeting Right Now
Let’s be honest about what’s happening in the market.
Every executive on the planet knows they need to “do something with AI.” They feel behind. They’re afraid of missing out. And here’s what that means for you: people are taking more meetings than ever before. Not because they want to buy, but because they want to learn.
This is curiosity, not intent.
Gartner’s research confirms what I’m seeing in founder conversations: the B2B buying journey has become massively more complex, with more stakeholders, more information sources, and longer evaluation periods. Buyers are exploring options they have no intention of purchasing. They’re gathering information for a decision they might make in 18 months. Or never.
And when you’re a founder doing sales, you don’t have time to figure out which is which through trial and error. You need a framework.
The Core Distinction: Curiosity vs. Intent
Here’s the difference, as simply as I can put it:
Curiosity: “I want to learn. I want to educate myself for future decisions. I’m exploring options and gathering information.”
Intent: “I have money. I have a project. I have a timeline. I need a solution to a specific problem, and I’m ready to act.”
It sounds obvious when I write it out like that. But in the heat of a sales call, when someone’s asking good questions and nodding along to your demo, it’s incredibly easy to confuse one for the other.
I talk with founders who tell me they have “strong pipelines” because they’re running five pilots. But when I dig in, none of those pilots have budget attached. None have a decision-maker engaged. None have urgency beyond “this seems interesting.”
That’s not a pipeline. That’s a wish list.
The Question That Changes Everything
In every conversation I have with founders, I teach them one question. It’s the single most powerful qualifying question I know:
“What’s changed to make solving this problem now matter?”
That’s it. That one question separates curiosity from intent faster than anything else.
Here’s why it works: the problem you solve probably isn’t new. Your prospects have lived with it for months, maybe years. They’ve developed workarounds. They’ve survived. So why now? What changed?
If they can’t answer that question clearly, you’re looking at curiosity. They don’t actually have urgency. They’re just interested.
Good answers sound like this:
“We just had a terrible board meeting. The board is now measuring us on X, and we’re failing.”
“We just hired a new CRO who’s demanding we fix our pipeline problem in Q1.”
“Our biggest competitor just launched something similar, and we’re losing deals we used to win.”
“We got a mandate from the CEO to cut costs by 20%, and this is one of the areas we’re looking at.”
These are real triggers. They indicate something has changed to elevate this from “nice to have” to “need to solve.” McKinsey’s research on B2B sales emphasizes that understanding the customer’s “why now” is essential to driving sales effectiveness.
If you can’t get a clear answer to “what’s changed,” it’s not a real deal. Not yet, anyway.
Red Flags That Scream Curiosity
Beyond the “what’s changed” question, I’ve learned to spot certain signals that indicate curiosity rather than intent. Watch for these:
“We’re just exploring.” Classic curiosity signal. They’re telling you directly that they’re not ready to commit. Believe them.
No timeline. If they can’t articulate when they need a solution, even a rough timeframe, it’s not a priority. Real buyers have deadlines, whether self-imposed or external.
No identified budget. This one’s huge. A lack of budget indicates a lack of commitment. If they haven’t figured out how to pay for this, they haven’t made a real decision to solve it. The Brooks Group reports that nearly half of underperforming sales teams struggle with qualification, mostly because they skip the budget conversation.
Decision-maker not involved. If the person you’re talking to isn’t the ultimate decision-maker, and they can’t get that person on a call, the deal has a serious blocker. I’ve seen too many founders invest months in a deal only to discover that the actual buyer was never engaged.
Vague pain points. Real buyers can describe their problem specifically. “We need better sales” is curiosity. “We’re losing 30% of our pipeline to competitors because we can’t follow up fast enough” is intent.
When I see these red flags, I don’t immediately disqualify the lead. But I adjust my expectations and approach. I treat it as a learning opportunity, a chance to gather market insight, rather than a deal I’m counting on.
How to Handle Curiosity Calls Without Wasting Time
Here’s the thing: curiosity calls aren’t worthless. They can teach you a lot about your market, your messaging, and your competitive positioning. But you need to handle them efficiently.
Don’t demo immediately. This is hard for founders. You’re proud of what you’ve built, and you want to show it off. But a full demo takes time and energy. If they’re just curious, that’s time you won’t get back.
Instead, I recommend starting with questions. Use the first part of any call to qualify. Ask about their challenges, their timeline, what’s changed. If the signals are all curiosity, you can offer a brief overview instead of a deep dive, or point them to resources they can explore on their own.
Use the conversation to learn. Even if they’re not buying, they’re a potential customer in the future. Ask about their current solutions, their evaluation criteria, who else they’re talking to. This intelligence is valuable.
Set clear next-step expectations. If they’re curious but not ready, that’s fine. But don’t leave things open-ended. Say something like: “It sounds like this isn’t a priority right now, which is totally fine. Would it make sense to reconnect in Q2 when you’re thinking about this more seriously?”
This does two things: it closes the loop on the current conversation, and it creates a natural re-engagement point if their situation changes.
Remember: momentum = time between calls. If you have a call and the next touch is four weeks out, that deal is probably not real. Keep the time between interactions tight on real opportunities. Let the curiosity calls have longer gaps. You’re not losing anything.
The Five Questions Framework
When I’m helping founders build a qualification process, I give them five questions to answer (borrowed from Mark Kosoglow) before they count something as a real opportunity:
Problem: What problem are they trying to solve? Can they describe it specifically?
Urgency: Why now? What’s changed to make solving this a priority?
Timeline: When do they need a solution in place? Is there a real deadline?
Value: What’s the potential value of solving this? Do they understand the ROI?
Commercials: What’s their budget? Are they willing to pay, and have they figured out how?
If you can answer all five of these with confidence, you’ve got a real opportunity. If you’re missing answers, especially on urgency and timeline, you might be looking at curiosity dressed up as intent.
HubSpot’s research on lead qualification confirms that understanding these factors early dramatically improves conversion rates. In my experience with founders, the ones who qualify rigorously close at much higher rates than those who chase everything.
When They Say “Yesterday” for Timeline
Here’s a common trap.
You ask about timeline, and the prospect says, “Yesterday! We need this as soon as possible!”
Sounds great, right? They’re urgent!
Maybe. Or maybe they’re just telling you what they think you want to hear.
When I hear “yesterday,” I dig deeper. I ask:
“What’s happening right now that makes this so urgent?”
“What will happen if you don’t solve this in the next 30 days?”
“What steps have you already taken to address this?”
Their answers reveal whether the urgency is real or performative. If they’ve been “urgently” looking at solutions for six months without taking action, the urgency isn’t real. Something else is blocking them.
Real urgency sounds like: “We’re losing $50,000 a month to this problem, and I’m being asked about it in every leadership meeting.” That’s specific. That’s measurable. That’s real.
The Budget Conversation (Stop Avoiding It)
I talk to a lot of founders who are uncomfortable discussing money early in the sales process. They worry about scaring prospects away or seeming too aggressive.
Here’s what I’ve learned: avoiding the budget conversation doesn’t help anyone.
If their budget is wildly misaligned with your pricing, you’re both wasting time. Better to know early. And if budget is a real constraint, you can’t solve for it if you don’t know about it.
Forbes research on lead qualification emphasizes that understanding financial capacity is a fundamental part of qualifying opportunities. You’re not being pushy. You’re being efficient.
I frame it like this: “I want to make sure we’re a fit for each other. Typically, solutions like ours range from $X to $Y depending on scope. Does that align with what you’re thinking?”
If they don’t know their budget, ask about previous investments: “What have you spent on solving this problem in the past?” That gives you a baseline.
The SPRINT Framework for Qualification
I’ve developed a framework I call SPRINT to help founders quickly assess whether an opportunity is real. Here’s how it applies to qualification:
S – Speed: Can you show quick wins? But remember: speed without context equals noise. You still need to understand their situation before rushing to demonstrate value. Prospects with real intent want to see value fast, not in 12 months.
P – Problem: Is the problem specific and urgent? Have you identified what’s changed?
R – Results: Can they articulate what success looks like? Do they have metrics they’re trying to hit?
I – Implementation: Are they ready to allocate resources to implement? Or are they just kicking tires?
N – Niche: Is this a customer in your sweet spot? Or are they a stretch that will require customization you can’t support?
T – Trust: Do they trust you enough to take a risk on an early-stage solution? Have you established credibility?
If you’re checking most of these boxes, you’ve got a real opportunity. If you’re missing on multiple dimensions, especially Problem and Trust, you’re likely looking at curiosity.
The Biggest Competitor Is “Do Nothing”
I want to leave you with something that took me years to really internalize:
The biggest competitor you face isn’t another startup. It isn’t the established incumbent. It’s “do nothing.”
When I talk with founders, they often focus on feature comparisons with competitors. “We’re better than Competitor X because of this, that, and the other thing.” But what they don’t realize is that the buyer isn’t choosing between you and Competitor X. They’re choosing between solving this problem at all, and just living with it.
And here’s the thing: they’ve been living with it. They have workarounds. The status quo is free and familiar.
Your real job isn’t to prove you’re better than alternatives. It’s to prove that solving this problem now is worth the effort, risk, and cost of change. That’s what “what’s changed” gets at. That’s what urgency is about.
Salesforce data shows that the modern B2B buyer is more overwhelmed and skeptical than ever. If you can’t articulate why now matters, and confirm that your prospect agrees, you’re fighting an uphill battle against inertia.
And inertia usually wins.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I qualify deals when I’m desperate for any meeting?
I get it. When you’re early, every meeting feels precious. But here’s the reality: spending 10 hours on a curiosity deal means you’re not spending those hours on a real one. Qualify early, qualify honestly. Ask the hard questions up front. Your time is the scarcest resource you have.
Should I turn down curiosity calls entirely?
Not necessarily. Curiosity calls can teach you about your market, your messaging, and your competition. But be intentional about them. Set a time limit. Use them for learning, not selling. And don’t count them as pipeline.
How do I dig deeper when someone says “yesterday” for timeline?
Ask for specifics. “What’s happening right now that makes this urgent?” “What will happen if this doesn’t get solved in the next 30 days?” “What steps have you already taken?” Real urgency has specifics. Performative urgency doesn’t.
What if the prospect doesn’t know their budget?
Ask about past investments instead. “What have you spent on solving this problem before?” That gives you a baseline. If they’ve never spent anything, that’s a signal too: either it’s not a real priority, or you’re dealing with a first-time buyer who’ll need more education.
How important is it to identify the decision-maker?
Critical. If you’re not talking to the person who can say yes and sign the check, you have a champion at best, and a dead end at worst. Always ask: “Who else needs to be involved in making this decision?” If they can’t get that person on a call, the deal has a blocker.
What’s the one question I should ask in every sales conversation?
“What’s changed to make solving this problem now matter?” This single question tells you more about purchase intent than any other. If they have a clear answer, you might have a real deal. If they don’t, you’re looking at curiosity.
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These patterns come from 200+ founder conversations. Want to talk through your specific pipeline? [Reach out at 100founders.ai](https://www.100founders.ai/) and let’s have a conversation.