Sales people have product to move, quotas to meet. They have less time and larger territories than ever before. And to make matters worse, selling cycles are getting longer as decision makers strain to balance the competing needs for value and quality.

Why then do so many sales reps ignore sales leads generated at great expense by advertising, websites, direct mail, email and other promotional efforts?

Simple. It is more productive, more cost-effective for them to work existing leads, recontact existing customers and develop referral business than it is to call on an unqualified lead.

What do sales reps want?

Sales reps want answers to key qualifying questions. They want to know if the person is an information gatherer or a decision maker. Has the company allocated funds for a purchase, or is this a speculative inquiry? How soon will they be making a decision? Which of your products or…