their process works, the more effectively you can help them figure out if your product is a fit or not. If your prospect (or market) has an average six-month buying process, there’s no point in getting impatient at month three. What’s your usual process to evaluate and buy products like this?” What would it take to close in [30/60/90] days? (Or by a certain date) How can we get this done?” (Later in a sales cycle) When asking bold questions, it’s not what you ask, it’s how you ask it. If you ask a question like, “How can we get this done?” in an insecure way, it will hurt you. Ask it easily and confidently, and it can close the deal for you. 7) Not Caring About Them Do you really want to help them improve their business, or just sell them stuff? Great salespeople focus on making their prospects successful. How can you help your prospects, even if there’s no direct connection to a sale yet? Are their resources, news, advice, referrals or other things of value you can share with them? When you call, do you authentically care about how their business is going, or are you just focused on finding out if they’re ready to buy yet? Focusing on their success builds trust, which leads to more sales. 8) Telling Instead Of Showing (How Can You Prove It?) If you’re still working on breaking into an account, or have a stagnant prospect, try giving them something for free that will be valuable to them, like a free trial. Instead of telling them how great you are, or what a leader your company is, how can you prove it? For example, a trial can create a first point of entry in the “getting to know you” stage and give buyers a taste that you have the credibility to help them. Don’t just throw free stuff at them. Tailor what you’re offering to whatever their needs or problems are, or else it’s likely to be a waste of time for both parties. 9) Dragging Your Feet In Disqualifying I love Tom Batchelder’s book titled Barking Up A Dead Horse (and I recommend it!). Because of desperation, pressure or a lack of clarity on their “Ideal Customer Profile,” executives and salespeople will beat dead or poor-fit opportunities to death, simply because that opportunity is in front of them, and