Who's your biggest sales competitor? It's not who you think. It's the status quo. Doing nothing is the absolute easiest thing for people to do -- even if the process or products they're using now aren't doing a good job.

Over the years, I've always lost about 50% of my identified prospects to no decision. Sometimes it truly doesn't make sense to change. I can live with that. But other times it is foolhardy to stay with what they're doing -- yet they still do. Those are the times that drive me crazy.

That's why I've learned that our most important job is helping our prospects understand the business value they'll get from making a change. It all starts with a story of how we've helped others.

This needs to pique their curiosity enough so they're interested in learning more -- especially since the analysis requires time & resources. Case studies and white papers can provide proof sources. And best of all, our savvy questions can help our prospects determine if it's really worth going forward with a change initiative.