Have you ever invested time, talent and energy into a presentation for a prospect that you later find out has no money?! Yes, I have, and it is a big downer. There is a lesson in this however and it is this:
When do you want to find out that your prospect has no money, can't make a decision to buy, has no real need for your offering, doesn't need it till next year, just wants your information...on and on we could go. Most of the time, traditional selling does not adequately flush out these important issues until days, weeks, or even months until after the selling process has begun. This puts the sales professional in a high risk situation where valuable time could be wasted on opportunities that have no chance of becoming orders.
It is better to qualify hard during the initial meetings with a prospect asking tough questions about money, decision, need, and other qualifying issues. If the prospect fails this initial qualification process then you have the right to "fire" the prospect an move on to those that will buy from you.
