Do you lose sales leads? I’m not talking about actually misplacing a piece of paper, a business card, email or other communication device where you first became aware of a potential client. I am talking about letting too much time go by between initial interest and meaningful contact in which you lose any momentum for a sale.

I had a guy call me the other day. He said we had met at a networking event, although I did not remember him. The longer we talked, we realized the event he referred to took place over a year ago. He wanted to know if I would be interested in getting together so I could hear his sales pitch. I said that, in all honesty, I could not remember him or his business. He thought I would remember his face if we could just meet. He pretty much begged me for a meeting. I said no. I said no because I really had no need for what he was selling. I said no because I really didn’t have the time to meet. However, I might have said yes if he would have followed up with me within 48 hours of our meeting instead of one year. I might have let him make his sales pitch over a cup of coffee. I might have if he didn’t sound like a man who was so desperate that he really didn’t want to find out if his product was a match for me, he just wanted a sale.

Too often sales leads get put off. Time has a way of getting away from us. The phone call you said you were going to make doesn’t get made today or tomorrow. Before long, you realize two weeks has passed and you still need to make that call. You claim you will do it before you go home that day. A month later, you realize you still have not made the call. Why doesn’t this happen on time? For one, many people are afraid of rejection. They become self-fulfilling prophets of doom when they pre-read the lead as a definite "no” before they take the time to get to know the prospect. Sure it may take some convincing to get the prospect to buy from you. That is what sales is all about, isn’t it? If the products sold themselves, your company wouldn’t need salespeople, just order takers. People who are really good at sales know two things about skeptical buyers. One, most of them actually like to be convinced of the worthiness of your product or service. These are not the type of people you want to run away from, but the ones you want to embrace. They give you the opportunity to tout the value of what you are selling – to put your sales skills to use. Two, once you have built a relationship with a skeptical buyer, they are very likely to come back to you time and again. If they see you as a trusted expert in the field of what you are selling, they become repeat customers.

Another reason the procrastination bug bites sales leads is that other things are deemed more important. I would venture to say there is little that is more vital to the success of your business than sales from your customers. It is the very breath of business. So why do we allow other business details to cover up and smother our most important function? The fact is that other details around most offices have business colleagues attached to them and they will nag until you get them what they want. Potential customers don’t nag. They just quietly lose interest.

There are a lot of sales and prospect management systems that are used by businesses. However, these are not foolproof. The technology only works if you actually follow up when you are prompted to or make a call before a set deadline.

Here are some simple things you can do to make sure that sales leads don’t become lost leads for your business. When you first get the lead, make an appointment for yourself to make the first call on the prospect. Actually mark your calendar for the call. Don’t let anything else get in the way. I find when I set an appointment, I guard the time from other details that find their way onto my desk. This call should be within 24-48 hours after you have received the lead. Does this make you look too aggressive or too eager? Possibly, but I would take that chance. I think it communicates a more positive message; that you are interested in making a connection with the prospect. Waiting too long will make the prospect doubt your sincerity in this matter. If the prospect casts doubt on your sincerity, you will have little chance of making a sale.

Another key to keeping leads from getting lost is prioritization. Not all leads are born equal. Whenever I go to a networking event where I am meeting lots of people, I mark business cards for follow up. I have a simple code. A star means this is a hot prospect and I need to make a priority of getting back in touch soon. A dash means that this is a person of interest, but not an immediate lead. I want to stay in touch, but not pour all of my efforts into this person. Too often salespeople mistake the low priority lead for the high priority prospect.