Jim had been working on a big deal for four months. Before he gave his presentation, his sales manager asked, “Is this prospect qualified?”
Jim answered “Yes” with total confidence. The next day, however, he learned that a competitor had gotten the deal – because of a very recent change in his contact’s buying priorities.
Jim hadn’t picked up on this change.
During his debrief with his sales manager, Jim asked, “What do you think I could have done differently?”
His sales manager thought for a moment and said, “Well – did you confirm all your information with your contacts before you agreed to make your presentation?”
Jim shook his head. He hadn’t confirmed anything … on a deal he’d been working on for more than a quarter!
