In today’s competitive business environment, companies invest millions into developing products, building brands, and creating customer experiences. Yet many of those investments are undermined by one of the most overlooked problems in business: poor sales and business development practices.
Recently, we were evaluating CRM providers for a new project. As any buyer would, we conducted research, reviewed the market, identified several leading providers, and submitted enquiries through their websites. We expected professional follow-up, thoughtful qualification, and an opportunity to understand how each solution could support our objectives.
One interaction stood out for all the wrong reasons.
A representative from one provider contacted me via WhatsApp. Before introducing themselves properly or understanding our requirements, they attempted to call. Unfortunately, I was in a meeting at the time. After noticing their introductory message, I replied courteously:
“I was in a meeting. Please call me back when you’re free.”
The response surprised me.
“I have too many meetings now, but tell me your headcount. I don’t see members of your company on LinkedIn.”
At that moment, the conversation shifted from customer discovery to poor qualification.
The first issue was language. Asking for “headcount” may be common inside corporate sales departments, but customers are not rows in a CRM database. They are organizations with objectives, challenges, and opportunities. More importantly, the question itself demonstrated a lack of understanding about who we were and why we had made contact.
The second issue was due diligence.
Before asking qualification questions, a salesperson should understand the prospect. Why did they reach out? What problem are they trying to solve? What stage are they in? What information is publicly available? What industry do they operate in?
Instead, the conversation immediately became an exercise in fitting us into a sales process rather than understanding our business.
Many companies intentionally keep employee information private. Some protect their staff, partners, contractors, and associates from unsolicited approaches. Others operate across multiple brands, projects, or jurisdictions. LinkedIn visibility is not a reliable measure of business size, capability, or opportunity.
This highlights a broader problem in modern sales organizations.
Too many salespeople have been trained to qualify companies before qualifying people.
The best sales professionals understand that businesses do not buy products—people do. Before assessing company size, budget, or employee count, great salespeople seek to understand the individual on the other side of the conversation. Are they a decision maker? Are they evaluating solutions? What are their objectives? What challenges are they trying to overcome?
Qualification should be a discovery process, not an interrogation.
The strongest sales and business development professionals are naturally curious. They research. They listen. They ask thoughtful questions. They understand that every interaction is an opportunity to build trust.
Poor salespeople focus on completing forms.
Great salespeople focus on understanding people.
The irony is that companies spend enormous resources perfecting products while allowing weak sales execution to create friction between themselves and prospective customers. A poor first interaction can damage trust long before a product demonstration ever takes place.
Technology companies, SaaS providers, and enterprise vendors should remember that prospects have choices. When a potential customer reaches out, they are already investing time in evaluating your business. The sales process should reward that interest, not create unnecessary barriers.
The best business development professionals understand something many organizations have forgotten: customers are not leads to be processed. They are relationships to be built.
And relationships always begin with understanding the person before the company.
