Consultants and advisors
I get on calls with people who were never going to hire me.
Your engagements are large enough that two or three a quarter is a good quarter, which means a call with the wrong person is not a small loss. It is a morning you cannot spend on the work you already sold.
- The questions ask about budget, timing and authority before the call exists, not during it
- You walk in already knowing what they said about their own situation
- The people who are not ready get something useful instead of a slot