Alyssa Gammoudy

Skipping Qualification (The Time Trap)

The most expensive mistake in sales is spending time on prospects who were never going to buy. This happens when salespeople are so eager to help—or so optimistic about their persuasive abilities—that they skip the hard questions about budget, authority, need, and timing.

Unqualified prospects consume enormous amounts of energy. They attend meetings, ask detailed questions, request proposals, and engage in what feels like productive sales activity. But they’re not actually moving toward a purchase decision because they lack the authority to make decisions, the budget to pay for solutions, or the urgency to change their current situation.

The Fix: Implement early qualification criteria that help salespeople invest time where it can actually generate results. This doesn’t mean being rude or pushy—it means asking respectful but direct questions about decision-making processes, budget parameters, and implementation timelines. Better to disqualify early than discover later that months of effort were directed toward someone who couldn’t buy regardless of how compelling your presentation was.