The Cost of Chasing the Wrong Prospects
Salespeople often spend countless hours chasing “maybe someday” prospects—people who say call me back in a few months but never actually buy. This wasted time erodes productivity, drains energy, and eats away at profit margins.
The Story: Nick’s Frustrating Day in Sales
Nick spent 12 hours on the road, chasing prospects he’d been calling for months:
Morning calls: A manufacturing owner gave him two minutes before asking for a brochure that likely went straight to the trash.
Afternoon calls: Fifteen cold dials led to voicemails, gatekeepers, and dead ends.
Lunch meetings: The few times he managed to get prospects out, they enjoyed a free meal but never followed up.
Mall visits: Twelve retail stores brushed him off—eight sent purchasing out-of-state, and the rest were “happy with their suppliers.”
By the end of the day, Nick had zero sales, zero progress, and one big realization: there has to be a better way.
The Result: No Need, No Sale
Nick failed not because he lacked effort, but because he never established whether his prospects actually needed his solution. Prospects only buy when they:
Recognize a problem
Feel urgency to solve it
Believe you can help relieve their pain
Without uncovering a real need, Nick’s prospects had no reason to move forward.
The Real Problem With This Sales Behavior
Many salespeople believe persistence will eventually pay off. Sometimes it does—but if you measure the hours spent, the overhead costs, and the slim payoff, the “profit” often disappears.
This outdated approach lingers because managers see the occasional sale and mistake it for a system. In reality, chasing unqualified prospects is a costly trap.
A Smarter Approach: Qualify for Need
The truth: Every appropriate prospect will eventually buy what you sell—but not all of them are ready today. Your job is to uncover who needs it now.
The key driver isn’t price—it’s pain.
Prospects who will buy within the next two months do so because:
Without your solution, their company will suffer
Their team is feeling pressure
They personally risk falling short
Your role is to uncover this urgency.
How to Uncover Real Prospect Needs
Instead of waiting for “someday,” use smarter prospecting tactics:
Ask reversing questions to reveal hidden pain.
Bring the past and future into the present to uncover consequences of inaction.
Pause after asking questions—and let silence do the work.
Focus on their needs, not yours by using tactical prospecting frameworks.
When a prospect says, call me in a couple of months, challenge it:
What’s going to change in two months that will create a new need?
If the answer is “nothing,” stop wasting time.
The Takeaway: Sell to the Right Prospects
There are prospects in your market right now who feel the pain your solution solves. Stop chasing the ones who don’t. Qualify for need, uncover urgency, and focus your time where it matters most.
If you want more help in how to determine prospect needs, click here to schedule a stress-free phone call with one of our Sandler trainers.
