And yet, salespeople spend 80% of their time on them.

Top salespeople?
They spend only about 20% of their time on unqualified leads — and lose only 20% of potential customers.

Their secret?

The ability to quickly tell who is a real opportunity and who is just a time vampire.

I’ll show you how to spot dead-end deals instantly and focus only on the ones that deliver results.

And yes, I’ve added a practical task in every section, so you can apply it right away.

Let’s dive in.

1. When “I need to review this internally” really means I’m not interested

On a recent online call with Karl from Sweden, every answer I got felt like pulling teeth.

When he finally said, “I need to review this internally,” my red flag went up.

Not Interested.

I asked him three targeted questions:

• “What exactly will be discussed internally?”
• “When specifically is that meeting planned?”
• “Who else will be involved in the decision?”

His answers?

Vague. Lifeless. He was thinking more about lunch than my product.

I suggested another call in a week. He suggested email instead.

Sales translation: Forget it. I’m not buying. And he didn’t.

How to recognize real interest

If a customer actively engages, asks specific questions, and spontaneously explores how your product could work in practice, that’s a green light.

If they need to “check with the wife, grandma, dog, and cat,” redirect your energy to a stronger lead.

Your Task

Prepare three qualifying questions you’ll use at your next meeting when you hear “I need to review this internally” or “I need to check with someone.”

2. A Customer Without Commitment = A Waste of Time

I was talking with a startup CEO. He explained how he personally prepared every single custom offer because they didn’t have anyone else to do it.

The sales team brought leads, the CEO spent hours pricing, and sales still didn’t grow.

The fix? 

A 4-step qualification system:

1. Define the problem and impact

What problem is the customer solving, and what’s the real business impact?

2. Check urgency and budget

If it’s not urgent and money isn’t allocated, it’s not a hot lead.

3. Test willingness to collaborate

Will they involve colleagues, provide data, and engage actively?

4. Get commitment 

Secure a small upfront agreement, e.g. feedback in exchange for your solution.

If a customer won’t invest even minimal effort, why should you invest your time?

Your Task

At your next meeting, test the customer with a small “homework” request.
For example:

• Set a specific date for a follow-up.
  
• Do a joint ROI calculation.
  
• Provide extra data needed for the proposal.
  
• Ask to bring colleagues to the next demo.

3. An Hour of Prep Saves Days of Wasted Meetings

In my early days, I treated every meeting like a golden opportunity.

Reality check? Out of 10 meetings, only 2 were truly relevant.

Most common reasons:

• No budget, no decision-making process.
  
• I was speaking to someone with zero buying power.

Now, I never skip pre-meeting research.

I combine LinkedIn with AI tools to profile potential clients. Then I suggest a short discovery call to align expectations.

Key pre-meeting questions:

• Has the company invested in similar solutions before?
  
• Is my contact actually part of the decision process?
  
• Is there an active need to solve this problem now?
  

Your Task

Create a checklist of 5 questions you’ll answer before every in-person meeting. Use research + a quick discovery call.

4. Get Off the Ego Trip Express and Start Listening

Average salespeople talk 65–75% of the time during a first meeting.

Top performers?

Only 30–40%.

If you want to know whether there’s real sales chemistry between you and the customer:

1. Stick to the 70/30 rule.
   
   Listen 70% of the time.
   
2. Use targeted open questions.
   
   • “What exactly made you start looking for a solution?”
     
   • “How would the ideal solution change your situation?”
     
   • “Which aspects of this problem have the biggest impact on your business?”
     
3. Change your mindset.
   
   Approach every call to help, not sell. Paradoxically, you’ll sell more this way.
   

Your Task

At your next meeting, track how much you talk vs. how much your customer talks.

Even if it feels unnatural at first, trust me.

It’s not worth investing your energy in everyone who “knocks on your door.”

Top salespeople don’t win because they have more meetings.

They win because they quickly identify which meetings are worth their time.

What criteria do you use to filter sales opportunities?

If you liked these tips, you’ll love the newsletter from Columbo’s wife.

It’s where I share real stories and practical tactics straight from the sales trenches.