The Costly Assumption Most Salespeople Make

Have you, a member of your field sales team, or one of your inside reps ever called a prospect a few times without connecting and then given up? The answer is likely yes, as the temptation is to assume a prospect isn't interested and move on.

Of all the incorrect sales assumptions we make, this one ranks as one of the most costly in terms of losing valuable opportunities. Consider the following from respected industry sources:

• 25% of the market is in play at any given time.
• 45% of qualified leads end up buying a solution within a year.

And yet …

• 70% of leads aren't being followed up by sales.

The phrase "a comedy of errors" comes to mind. The startling contrast between ripe market opportunity and ineffective contact processes would be laughable if the outcome weren't so expensive: real deals are being missed and lost to the competition.