Sometimes in sales, it pays to walk away!!
After 30 plus years in sales management and training, I am constantly surprised at the way so-called “experienced” sales people don’t know when to walk away. To quote Johnny Cash, “you’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em”. 
Wasting time of a “prospect” that isn’t going to buy from you means less time working on real opportunities. I always use 4 simple questions to decide where to put my valuable time:
1. Is there a REAL opportunity? Do you understand the prospects need or desire? Do they have the budget? Do they have a compelling reason to make a decision?
2. Can you compete? Can you satisfy their desire/need? Do you have an existing relationship (compared to you competitors)?
3. Can you win? Are you seen as a serious contender? Do you have inside support and market credibility? Do you understand the decision making process?
4. Is it worth winning? If you win, is the deal going to be profitable? Is there longer term strategic value in winning the deal?
Answering “no” to any of these questions should set off an alarm. Dig deeper to decide whether this is an opportunity worth you valuable time, effort and resources. And don’t think this only applies to B2B sales, quick qualifying in B2C sales can also mean more revenue and better profits.
Next time you are putting a proposal together for a prospect, ask yourself these questions – then decide how much time and effort it warrants.
Wasting time of a “prospect” that isn’t going to buy from you means less time working on real opportunities. I always use 4 simple questions to decide where to put my valuable time:
1. Is there a REAL opportunity? Do you understand the prospects need or desire? Do they have the budget? Do they have a compelling reason to make a decision?
2. Can you compete? Can you satisfy their desire/need? Do you have an existing relationship (compared to you competitors)?
3. Can you win? Are you seen as a serious contender? Do you have inside support and market credibility? Do you understand the decision making process?
4. Is it worth winning? If you win, is the deal going to be profitable? Is there longer term strategic value in winning the deal?
Answering “no” to any of these questions should set off an alarm. Dig deeper to decide whether this is an opportunity worth you valuable time, effort and resources. And don’t think this only applies to B2B sales, quick qualifying in B2C sales can also mean more revenue and better profits.
Next time you are putting a proposal together for a prospect, ask yourself these questions – then decide how much time and effort it warrants.
