Phil Whitebloom — The Sales Fixer
Turning Stalled Teams Into Top Producers — Fast.
Today’s topic: Unqualified Leads — Stop Chasing Ghosts Before They Waste Your Time
Why it matters:
Every sales team wastes time on deals they should never chase. The lead looked good, but it was missing money, authority, urgency — or all three. Frank knows when bad leads get into the pipeline, they clog up forecasts, drain resources, and kill close ratios. Worst of all, they burn out good salespeople who spend hours chasing ghosts that were never real in the first place.
The real problem:
The real problem isn’t just bad leads — it’s how they get accepted in the first place. Most sales teams don’t have a clear, non-negotiable standard for what makes a qualified opportunity. So anything with a pulse gets worked. Salespeople stay busy, managers report big pipeline numbers, but everyone knows most of it is fake. And when reality hits, Frank is left asking why they spent time on deals that had no chance.
The fix:
A healthy pipeline starts with qualification that everyone understands and respects. Every opportunity must be filtered for budget, authority, need, and timing — or it doesn’t go in the
pipeline at all. Sales managers must hold the line and pay attention daily.
There are many reasons why salespeople chase opportunities that aren’t fully qualified. Much of it comes down to how well — or poorly — they’re performing. Sales management must stay close to every new opportunity and watch for deals that keep getting pushed out with a promise that it’s coming. If it keeps slipping, it’s probably not real.
I’ve seen too many teams work 100 “opportunities” that were really just wishful thinking. When we tightened up qualification, many of those deals were disqualified — and the team
closed more with less effort because they were working with real buyers, not ghosts.
BeenThere Story:
One of the worst situations I was part of was when senior management was so desperate to win a substantial, high-profile job that they wouldn’t let it go. They kept forecasting it all then way up to the board of directors. In the field, we were telling them the customer was going through major leadership changes and the deal would be severely delayed — or not happen at all. That’s exactly what happened. It had a devastating effect on everyone’s credibility.
All opportunities need to be evaluated with a cool head and minimum emotion. Hope doesn’t close deals. Truth does.
My BeenThere Edge for you:
A smaller, real pipeline beats a big, fake one every time. When your salespeople only chase real buyers, they protect their time — and yours. No more ghosts.
Ready to Fix It?
When you’re ready to stop chasing ghosts and build a real qualification system that protects your time and money, let’s talk.
📧 Email me directly a Phil@beentherecs.com or grab 30 minutes on my calendar:
https://calendly.com/beentherecs/30-minute-meeting-with-phil
One meeting. Immediate traction.
Phil Whitebloom — The Sales Fixer
Turning Stalled Teams Into Top Producers — Fast.
BeenThere Consulting Services, LLC
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