You don't qualify an opportunity, you qualify your time

I was watching Mad Men the other night. I don’t know how you feel about the programme. I love it. Like every great character in any story, Don Draper, the lead role, is not without his flaws (he’s impatient and deeply uncomfortable with his own self concept).

Although dramatically over the top, I love his approach to selling. In a scene from the first episode of the fourth season, he is busy berating a colleague for bringing him a poorly qualified prospect.

“I have to account for every minute of my time” he snarled at his underling.

This statement struck a chord with me because time is the only commodity we have when selling.

You cannot sell yesterday.If you don’t know or are not clear on what you want time to do for you, then how will you know if an activity is making the best use of your time.

People who are goal oriented, focused and driven, qualify hard. They’re not qualifying the opportunity. They don’t care that much about the opportunity. They’re qualifying their time

Comments

[Paul]

Thanks Harlan - nice metaphor!

[Harlan Goerger]

Great point Paul, time is the only thing we have in sales. Once the day is gone it is gone, what has one accomplished? A few well placed qualifying questions can put one in a dead run with the wrong people or a nice walk with the right people.