Every sales rep says they have standards. Then a slow month hits, a decent-but-not-quite-right prospect seems interested, and that standard quietly gets set aside. Just this once.
In this episode of Finding Business, I break down why a rule that bends under pressure was never a rule to begin with, and what it actually takes to build qualification standards that hold when it matters. Listen to the episode, or read the full transcript below.
Welcome to the Finding Business podcast. Five minutes that will help you learn something new about attracting ideal clients and accounts. I’m your host, Scott Channell. For more about this show, episodes, and services offered, go to Scott Channell — with two t’s, two n’s, and two l’s — dot com. Now, on to the show.
Every sales rep says they have standards. A prospect doesn’t fit, they’ll walk away. Every time. That’s what they say. Then a slow month hits, a not so good fit prospect shows interest, or sounds good, and that standard is set aside. Just this once.
Here’s the problem. A rule that bends under pressure was never a rule. It was a preference. And preferences don’t survive contact with a thin pipeline.
Most reps think discipline means staying strong in the moment.
Nobody’s strong in the moment. Not reliably. Not when quota’s looming and a lead is on the phone being friendly and saying all the right things.
Think about what’s actually happening in that moment. You need a close. You’re behind. And the prospect in front of you whispering sweet things in your ear may be just what you need. That’s not the moment to test your willpower. That’s the worst possible moment.
Write this down. Most salespeople fear losing prospects. Top sales performers fear wasting time.
That’s the whole difference, right there. One of those fears will bend your standards. The other one protects them.
If your rules only hold when everything is on track, they don’t serve their purpose.
Here’s what top sales performers do. They get medieval on their prospect list before they ever pick up the phone or send an email. They cut loose anyone who doesn’t meet the criteria for a real opportunity, and they do it early, before the contact, before the relationship, before what sounds like interest, before the moment where saying no gets hard.
That’s the whole trick. You don’t win the discipline battle in the moment. You win it before the moment exists.
Decide now, on a calm day, sitting at your desk, exactly what disqualifies a prospect. Not vaguely. Specifically. When are the odds in your favor? What does a real opportunity look like, based on the deals you’ve actually closed. Write it all down.
Then when you are looking at a list or you’re on a call, and a prospect doesn’t match it, you’re not making a decision anymore. You already made it. You’re just following through on something you decided in advance with a clear head.
That’s the difference between a rule and a preference. That’s the difference between a tight pipeline that produces results, consistently and on schedule, and a pipeline that is falling far short of quota. A preference gets negotiated every time it’s tested. A rule was already decided. There’s nothing left to think about.
Sales is a probabilities game, not a numbers game. Every prospect you don’t disqualify early is time you’re not spending on one that actually has a shot. Protect that time before you ever get on the call, not while you’re on it.
Think about your rules and qualifying standards. How many are hard rules and how many are set aside “just this time” when the pressure is on?
Hope this got you thinking. Find a transcript of this podcast in the show notes. For more information about this podcast, episodes, and services, go to Scott Channell — with two t’s, two n’s, and two l’s — dot com.
Thanks for listening.
