No matter how good a particular salesperson may be, there is always the potential in sales for getting bogged down with customers that sap your strength and waste your time again and again. What should be done in such situations? Perhaps the best advice comes from the wise old country bard that once sang "you gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold em." That's right, there are times when it's appropriate to tell a particular buyer that the relationship is wrong, and then cut and run.

A good salesperson asks the question, "Is the time I'm spending with this customer taking time away from others who need me more?" If the answer is "yes," then it's time to cut losses and walk away. If one is being stubbornly persistent down a path that leads nowhere, that's counterproductive. It is best to spend time where you're getting results.

The next time your first thought is "The customer is always right," stop and ask yourself this instead: Is this customer right for me?

(June, 2004)