I try my best not to judge but I do struggle at times.

As someone who’s been in sales for almost 30 years, I can tell you, without hesitation, that I’ve made some absolutely epic mistakes.

To that end, I try to keep in mind my own shortcomings before writing something like this, but I need to share my thoughts on something that I feel is wrong on many levels.

I want to share it with you in a way,  that will lack some specifics only because my intent isn’t to embarrass or start a pissing contest via my blog.

I came across an article that someone had written about a recent prospect that they fired.

I thoroughly enjoyed 90% of what they had to say and even admired the author’s “notes to self” on things he could have done better.

It was a situation where he did not get a specific commitment date from a prospect who was supposed to call their references.

The author of the blog called the prospect, after not hearing back,  and was told that they were busy and wouldn’t be able to get around to it for a bit.

Having learned from his previous mistake the author attempted to pin down the prospect on a date that he would call the references.

The prospect ‘fessed up and said that he was busy and probably wouldn’t get to it for a few weeks.

At that point the author fired the prospect and it went something like this (I’m paraphrasing big time because all you really need to know is the gist)

“That basically means no so I’ll make it easy for you and put you down as a ‘no’. If you were truly interested you would have called the references.  If things ever change yada yada yada”

He then goes on to send the prospect an email stating NOT to call the references that they were for active prospects only.

And now my opinion (you’re getting this unfiltered and I have no intention of cleaning up my language, leave now if you offend easily)

This was wrong on so many levels . . .

1)    Why would you pull an ego driven move like that? And now because the other dude has an ego, everything just shut down. There’s no door left open and do you really think this person will call if things ever change? Well maybe if he wants someone to make him feel like a sh*thead again.

2)    An argument could be made that the prospect wasn’t overly interested since they didn’t call the references but since the author screwed up and never got a commitment date . . . how would you really know?  Now had they agreed on a date that the references would be called and a date for a follow up decision chat was made and the prospect blew it off . . . well now we can start making an educated guess about commitment level. Even still . . .

3)    It doesn’t give you license to be a dick! I can’t believe that this person is dispensing sales advice and openly admits acting like that.

Time Out! Let’s all ‘fess up and admit that we all have told a tall tale or two in our careers. The old “They jerked me around and I told them a thing or two” tale you tell over a few cocktails but . . .

The moment you really start doing that stuff you not only lose business you start branding yourself as a tool!

4)    As if things weren’t bad enough . . . the dude writes about it! So here’s some poor guy that just got the idiot treatment and then gets to read about it on the other dude’s blog. Way to make a potential customer feel like crap!

Time Out! I truly hope that this guy’s readers are smart enough to never consider doing business with him. Not only does his advice invite confrontation and kill deals . . . If he fires you, you become blog fodder!

Let’s face it . . .

Prospects will jerk you around and there will be times when you will be tempted to tell them off.

I get it but . . .

Surely there must be another step (s) that can keep us from going from zero to A-Hole in a blink of an eye?

Please weigh in with your thoughts . . .