Execute ‘New Business’ Time Wasters!

Many years ago I bumped into a young insurance salesman who was really upset. He had been on holiday and, whilst away, the managing director of his company had taken over his portfolio of sales ‘leads’. When he returned the chap was horrified to learn that his director had trashed half of the ‘prospects’ he had been working on. The insurance company in question is now one of the biggest in Europe, but the young man at the centre of my story, no longer works for the organisation.That taught me an important lesson. The boss of the firm was, in some ways, quite ruthless when it came to sales. I am not saying he was a ‘hard sell’ merchant, however, he only pursued genuine prospects that needed insurance services, but at the first sign of a time waster he would kill the lead dead on the basis that it was never a prospect in the first place!

Over my life I have spent hours, days and months cultivating so-called business leads, only to discover that they were time wasters either not wanting to buy what I was selling, not able to make the buying decision, or simply on some kind of power trip and enjoying the sound of their own voice.

This week I went to my blue ‘estimates’ file and rang every person who had received a written estimate. One, a lawyer, called me two months ago, gave me a very specific brief and, since then, has steadfastly refused to return any of my phone calls or e-mails. He rang me! But how serious was he?

Look at all of your prospects, determine how serious they are and, if not, kill them with a polite e mail. Re-take the power and, if they are genuine they will ring and apologise or you will never hear from them again, meaning they were never serious in the first place. Kill time wasters and focus on real leads.