Mr. Unavailable is a No-Po

Have you ever been in a relationship with someone who isn’t available? Emotionally? Physically? Mentally? When we chase after a No-Po, it’s like chasing after someone who isn’t available. We want to believe something will happen, but it actually doesn’t happen. We don’t close deals when we hang with a No-Po.

This is the reality week where the rubber meets the road and your forecasting efforts reveal themselves. Have you been chasing No-Po’s this quarter? Here are the 10 signs you may have a No-Po on your forecast:

1. They say no often without understanding what your solution is about. Remember they cannot say yes.

2. They love talking with vendors and acting as though they have power.

3. They ask for a lot of busy work, more research, demos, competitive analysis, etc.

4. They ask lots of questions; most of them are really good questions and most require additional legwork on your part.

5. They really like your product/service and get it. They know how it fits in and how they would implement it.

6. They insist that vendors only speak with them and discourage any contact with their boss.

7. They usually don’t like to give their boss’s name and assure you they are your main contact.

8. They complain about not having any budget.

9. They stall and ask you to call back next quarter.

10. They schedule meetings that get rescheduled at the last minute because something more important took priority.