Our client Jeff was happy with the seminars we ran with his managers last year. This time, he wanted us to work with his employees again, explaining, “My team’s lost their motivation, and I think a jump-start from your presentation is just what they need.”

I was taken aback by the surprised look Jeff gave me when I said, “Great, but first, have you talked with your team members face-to-face?”

“I’ve hit a roadblock, Paul.” Jeff’s frustration poured out. “Even when I have the time to talk with them, I feel like I must be speaking in a foreign language. All I get is lip service or blank looks. Too many people have that attitude around here. That’s why I was hoping you could help me stir the pot. I could use some ideas to jump-start my team, so we can finish the year with a bang.”

I just finished an interview with the great folks at EyesOnSales. Their lead editor, Leah Rust, talked with me about the sales prospecting process and how to deal with sales prospects that never seem to make a decision during the selling process. Of course, we’d all prefer sales prospects to say “yes,” but at least when they say “no,” we can move on. Sales prospecting closure, so to speak. The interview is entitled, How to Get the Stuck Sale Moving — the podcast is available at the EOS website.

Fence-sitters and dead-enders can take up inordinate amounts of your sales prospecting time and energy, often with little to show at the end. A big problem is — some of your best customers may also be slow to decide — especially in the early stages of the customer relationship. How do you differenciate?