Far too often, salespeople chase a low-value lead that will never pan out. Or they continue negotiating with a prospect whose primary concern is winning and paying the absolute lowest price.
It’s not easy to walk away from a sale, especially when times are tough and competition is fierce. But it’s better for salespeople to focus their time, effort and energy on sales opportunities that are more viable — and profitable — for you and your company.
Sales trainer Kelley Robertson (RobertsonTrainingGroup.com) recently offered these six warning signs that indicate a rep may be better off walking away from a deal:
1. Your prospect refuses to engage in a sales conversation and answer important questions.
2. They say, “Just cut to the chase. How much
is this going to cost me?”
3. The prospect indicates that they have the ability to make the final buying decision but they keep deferring their decision.
4. They keep comparing your offering with a competitor who sells an inferior product.
5. A prospect continues to nickel and dime you over a small sale.
6. The prospect behaves in an unethical manner.
A reader online posted a valuable seventh warning sign: “You should also walk away when a prospect has unrealistic expectations. That can include expectations about price, capability and results. If you challenge prospects on defining their expectations and giving them a sense of what your strengths and limitations are early on, you will know if they are a good fit client for you to pursue or not.”
