We've been told for an eternity that sales is a numbers game. And it's still a popular belief today.

The theory is that all we need to do if we want to be successful in this business is to call, call, call. If we do that, we'll fill our pipeline with a gazillion suspects, who'll turn into X number of prospects, opportunities, and ultimately, customers.

We've been lead to believe that going after all those prospects is essential to our success. But what if it isn't?

I'm serious. What if trying to work all those prospects contaminates our thinking and causes us to behave badly? What if we could generate more sales with fewer prospects?

Most people think that's heresy. But over and over again, I've seen that the top sellers are pursuing fewer prospects. 

Now, they're not just working fewer prospects and that's it. Top sellers spend more time thinking critically about:

• The goals and objectives of their target audience.
• What they can do to guide prospects through the sales cycle.
• How to add value with every single interaction.

Their goal is to help prospects understand the business value of the solution – and more importantly – how changing the status quo can impact the organization.

So what if, for the next month, you stop going after the numbers? I know your boss will freak out, but trust me! What if you started focusing on how you can get maximum impact from the prospects you currently have? How can you get them to really blossom into great opportunities?

What would you do differently this month if that was the case? Do you think it'd make a difference?

That's my challenge to you. Think about it. Fewer, not more. Sales isn't a numbers game anymore; it's an effectiveness game.