Entrepreneurs often waste time on tepid prospects. Colleen Francis, president of Ottawa-based Engage Selling Solutions, explains how to identify the best potential buyers and "get to yes" faster:

1. Talk money early
Many people go through the whole sales cycle and present pricing at the end, only to discover that the customer doesn't have the budget or the desire to buy at your price. Talk about price early in the process and you'll weed out prospects that aren't a fit.

2. Establish a time frame
Ask your customers when they need to get the project started. Then create a workback schedule to show them the date by which a purchasing decision must be made to meet that time frame.

3. Use the word "never"
If you have a prospect who is constantly raising objections, try saying, "I just get the sense that we're never going to do business." People hate the word "never," and it will increase the urgency to tell you what it's going to take to make the sale.

4. Push for an answer
Get to the close by asking, "Where do we go next?" or "Where do we go from here?" This will signal to the customer that it's decision time and he or she needs to tell you the next step to make the sale happen.

Article By Deena Waisberg