They liked A Sales Guy Consulting, but our standard pricing and approach didn’t fit what they needed or could afford at the time. However, I knew we could help them, so we created a slightly different offer that would deliver the value they needed. Think a scaled down version of an existing offer.

After being flexible and accommodating this potential client enters into an extraordinarily complex due diligence process that included an hour of free time, where I provided them with tremendous insight to their business and where they should be focused. We also gave them access to one of our clients who gave them a fantastic referral, including insight into how I work and what the can expect from me. In spite of all of this, they wanted more, more client referrals etc.

They were becoming too difficult and making the process far more complicated than it needed to be, particularly undersanding the investment and how much we had already done to make this work for them. Therefore, I told my biz dev guy to cut them loose. They aren’t a good fit.

If a prospect is difficult, indecisive, demanding or just plain flakey during the sales process, you can expect they will be difficult once they are a customer.

You don’t have to do business with everyone. Sometimes, it’s best to avoid all the pain up front and not do business with the customer at all.

In a services industry like consulting and recruiting, a working relationship is EVERYTHING. We can’t afford clients who are difficult to work with, as they can cost you far more than they make.

We are flexible, nimble, engaging, fun and decisive here at A Sales Guy.  It’s how we get things done. We look for our clients to be the same way. Sometimes, they play too far down the opposite end of the spectrum. In those cases, it’s best for us to say, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

I see no need to take on a problem account. No one wins in these scenarios.

Sometimes, the best sale you can make is the one you don’t make.

A sale is the beginning of a relationship, not the end. Just like all relationships, if they don’t look good in the honeymoon phase, they most likely aren’t going to look good once you’re in the middle of it.

Have the courage and the ability to know when a deal just isn’t worth it and walk away.

We did!