By: Mark Dembo

Losing a prospect leads to a lot of stress and lost opportunities - but it doesn't have to be that way. By improving our sensitivity to the important signals that our prospects give us, we can waste a lot less time on "lost causes" and focus our energies on serious prospects.

The common wisdom in sales says that we should be listening for "buying signals" from our prospects. Buying signals can be important, but they can also easily be misinterpreted. For example, some of the common buying signals include:

• Your prospect repeats a question that has been answered fully
• Your prospect asks for a sample
• Your prospect makes "positive noises" - a grunt of assent, a "mm-hmm"
• Your prospect makes any comment or question about price
• Your prospect asks for references
• Your prospect asks for your guidance or opinion
• Your prospect mentions a negative experience with a previous supplier

Are these buying signals? Maybe, maybe not. Certainly, queries or comments like those listed above indicate that your prospect has some level of interest. But if we take these buying signals as gospel, we run a real danger of driving ourselves down a road of false hope toward the land of "Pendingville." In a meeting, the prospect shows some of these positive signs and you walk out of the meeting feeling like you've got the sale in the bag. You follow up by sending the information requested, you provide samples, you provide references. And then you call them - and your call goes unanswered. You call again. You e-mail. You send them cute and funny notes. You pray.

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