Or are they just wasting your time?<\/p>\n
You\u2019re on the phone for hours with them. You\u2019ve explained your entire process of how you are going to do the project for them \u2013 and they keep asking you to explain the same information over and over. You finally say to them, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, if I go further at this point that\u2019s work product and that\u2019s doing the job before I have it.\u201d<\/p>\n
You\u2019re frustrated and are suffering from the equivalent of road rage (client rage?).<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a sampling of might be causing this behavior:<\/p>\n
o\u00a0\u00a0 They are not the final decision maker, they\u2019re just the tire kicker<\/p>\n
o\u00a0\u00a0 They have no idea what they are doing and<\/p>\n
\u00a7\u00a0 Need reassurance from someone in their own group or company<\/p>\n
\u00a7\u00a0 Hope you\u2019ll educate them<\/p>\n
o\u00a0\u00a0 They don\u2019t have confidence in your company (fear of the unknown)<\/p>\n
o\u00a0\u00a0 Generic inertia, idle curiosity, or comparison shopping (they already have a pet vendor)<\/p>\n
o\u00a0\u00a0 They are really just BS’ing and were never intent on moving forward<\/p>\n
o\u00a0\u00a0 They\u2019re trying to make networking points with you or the referral<\/p>\n
A trusted client referred a colleague to me for work. I told him what had transpired (endless hours of explanation) on the phone and in-person. The response was that the person was a moron (actually, much stronger language was used). My client told his colleague that he would never again refer a vendor to this guy because he abused them.\u00a0 Sometimes there is justice.<\/p>\n
Some questions to qualify the prospect so they don\u2019t waste your time:<\/p>\n