Don't waste your time

The number one thing I believe separates great sales people from average, is that the great ones only spend time on opportunities that have real pains and needs, access to funds and a clear decision maker.

I realize it sounds obvious. Of course it does. But it’s amazing how much time is wasted on deals that never really had a chance. The best sales people qualify deals HARD. They are both aggressive and polite. They can smell a deal and they can smell bullshit. And if it’s not a deal - they move on. Fast.  

While it’s obvious how spending time on unqualified deals hurts the person in terms of wasted time and energy, it also hurts the person in the sense that the rest of your coworkers become aware of the deal too - and when the deal doesn’t come in, it certainly damages your internal positioning.

Chris Lochhead talks not just about positioning your company, but also tells people “position yourself - or be positioned”. Don’t be the type of person who gets positioned because of poor qualification. It’s okay to be aggressive. Just be polite. I have never talked to any executive who was upset about getting things done quickly.  

RJ Butaney taught me this. He never spent any time with anyone who was not a serious buyer. IT seemed like every call he had was with people who were going to buy - it was just a matter of how much and when.