This is pretty obvious but in our world of creating content it is a timely reminder to ensure we are taking our prospects along a qualifying pathway so we can make sure we do not waste our time on the wrong opportunities. An important part of this is to ask those we are trying to influence to do something. To qualify their interest.  There is nothing worse than wasting time - theirs and yours.

No one piece of marketing or sales effort acts alone. I wish there were magic bullets that resulted in heaps of qualified inbound interest but there isn't. We need to write relevant content, ensure we have an interested audience, use the phone, attend conferences, breakfast briefings, drinks and award ceremonies and follow up, follow up, follow up. But this article written by author James Muir reminded me of something very important. Get those you are prospecting to do something - something that qualifies them.  

Here at Passle we ask people to sign up to our newsletter. Often on our newsletter there is a report to download, an event to attend, a survey to fill in. Those that do this are obviously to be valued and nurtured.  

In the same way as prospects are judging the sales people; sales must reciprocate -potential clients must be judged.  I am going to try to ensure I get little commitments from those I am targeting. Will let you know how I go.