knowing when to commit

An email arrives at the website general email address.

A possible sales inquiry.

Everyone looks it over.  They agree that I would get the honor of answering it.

“Looks like a possibility.” says one of my colleagues.

After reviewing it I frown and explain that it doesn’t look that great to me.  He reminds me that we need to look  at all of these inquiries as possible sales and have to try our best.

I agree.  Each and every one of these inquiries could lead to a possible steady client, maybe even a fortune in revenue for the company.

But I’ve been around the block.  I don’t claim to be the greatest salesman ever born.  Truth be told I lack some of the innate qualities that salesmen need to be really good at this game.  But still, I’ve picked up a few things over the years.  Some of those things are warning me about this inquiry.  They’re saying that this is not going to be a sale and that it is in fact a waste of time.

I know that they all expect me to go all in on this inquiry and spend all my attention on this just as I would for a known client that’s been coming to  our company for years.  That’s what I always do but so many things tell me that this is a dead-end.  Little things pop out from the email, niggling little details that run up red flags for me.  The way the potential client words the email, the lack of details, just the way that the whole thing is put together.

I will willingly commit myself to new business opportunities, to personal challenges, even to new dating opportunities.  But I need to feel that at the very least I have the slimmest of chance of succeeding.  In this case I see nothing of the sort.

I mean I’ve even gone in blind into situations where I didn’t know anything about my chances of success.  Even into situations where the odds looked bad and conditions were unfavorable.  Sometimes it was a business proposal, or sometimes scaling down a cliff, or asking someone out.  I’ve been in those positions many times.  But something would always tell me “take the chance, maybe its worth a try.”

This time though, this email said to me “no, this is not going anywhere”

But I’ve promised to do my best.  So I take the task to heart and try my best.  A week later and several emails back and forth it turns out that the potential client is an elderly shut in and had no money and just wanted someone to chat with about professional matters.

I get the satisfaction of knowing that I was right but that really doesn’t make up for the time lost.