Many salespeople tell me that they want ALL of the business in their market. My response is always ‘no you don’t.’ There is no way you do, or should, want all the business out there. Why? Because some of it is really bad business. It’s not worth the time or energy you’ll give it at any stage of the process.

If you’ve been in sales for more than a month, you’ve encountered a difficult prospect. Think about them for a minute. They want a lot for very little. They request more and different information constantly. They are never satisfied, delay decisions, and don’t appreciate the value of your product/service. What exactly will you gain by winning that piece of business? You will spend a lot of time on something that isn’t profitable. That’s time you’re taking away from profitable opportunities and current business.

I submit to you that what you want is all of the good business out there. A good piece of business is one where you are getting a fair price for delivering a valuable product or service. A bad piece of business is one where you are under-compensated for delivering a valuable product or service.

Under-compensation can happen in various ways. The first is when the prospect beats you up on price and you give in. Now you have allowed them to under-value your product or service. What’s more is that you’re telling them you agree with them. At this point, you are giving it away. They see no value in what you bring to the table so they demand more and more for their money. They’re trying to get to the place where they feel like they’re getting the bang for their buck.

Unfortunately, what usually happens with these prospects is that they become clients. Enter scenario #2 - clients who want more without paying more. This puts you in a pickle. If you don’t meet their needs, your reputation may suffer when they tell others of their experience with you. If you do meet their needs, you’ll be taking valuable time away from profitable business. And, they’ll keep demanding more. Once you start meeting those demands, it’s hard to put the genie back in the bottle. Now you are giving more without getting more.

In some cases, you can start with a prospect who is willing to pay the proposed rate. It’s after their first order that they start expecting and asking for more. At first you may give in, thinking this equates to good customer service. The problem with this belief is that it isn’t the actual message you’re sending. The real message you are sending is that you are willing to do things for free. You have, once again, under-valued your worth.

All of these scenarios are ‘bad business.’ Not only because of their impact on your bottom line, but because of their impact on your time and ability to serve your other clients. Your business will suffer on a broader level. To say nothing of how you’ll start feeling about your clients and career.

It’s always about scope of work. You, the salesperson, have to have a clear definition of the scope of work and its value in dollars. That is how you avoid the pile-on process. You also have to think in broader terms. How is this prospect likely to impact your business as a whole? What kind of time will you have to invest in them versus what you’ll be gaining from them? Likewise, with current clients, if they start to expect more than is reasonable, you have to evaluate the situation.

When you find yourself with a prospect or client who is taking more than they’re giving to a significant degree, it is time to walk away. It makes more sense to walk away than to continue in a relationship that isn’t a win-win for all concerned. And, while walking away may feel strange, you will gain from doing it. You’ll have more time to devote to clients who appreciate and respect what you have to offer. This will also give you the time to do more prospecting to find those good business partners.