Do you remember that old song by The Temptations (Just My Imagination, Running Away With Me)? Well, I heard it the other day and it struck a resounding chord.

Ya see, sometimes I feel like I must have actually IMAGINED that a prospect was interested, that a networking contact was planning on being reciprocal, that the commitment to “move forward” was actually a COMMITMENT.

Could I have imagined all of these things?  I don’t think so.

While I feel that I have a great imagination and can spin stories with the best of them, I am downright pragmatic when it comes to my sales and business development endeavors. Heck, I have to be and after 27 years in business, I am confident that I can recognize a good prospect from one that is truly going nowhere, empty networking promises  from real ones and clients that were over extending themselves when they said they were just about to pull the trigger.

But lately I am wondering…was it just my imagination?:

• The prospect fell off the grid (despite all of the appropriate follow-up and efforts)
• The contract that was just about to be signed isn’t
• The payment that they say they mailed hasn’t arrived

Could all of these be examples of my over-active imagination?

I say, heck no, but rather these are a symptom of the times.

• People take longer to do almost anything

• Getting people to “pull the trigger” even after they have said “yes” is an exercise in patience

• Stalls and more stalls and then the project diminishes in size from what was promised

Harder work, longer hours, less pay.  Welcome to 2013.

It’s not my imagination or yours. It’s simply the way it is and it means we must adjust our business development and  sales efforts:

• We need more qualified prospects in the sales funnel because fewer say “yes” and when they do, it takes longer.
• We must examine our lead sources to make certain we are getting ROI from each and everyone.
• We must review our pricing to make certain that our model provides us with a cushion to stay in business.
• We must ask questions and uncover the “truth” in each and every selling situation. (Too often when things are “tough” we are happy to take everything at face value. This is a mistake!)

Most of all, we must do a rock-star job with each and every client because client retention is what helps us survive when getting new clients is a long and difficult road.