Hitting the Wall Is talking to certain prospects like talking to a brick wall? It may be time to cut your losses and walk.

The customer is always right. We've heard that as a basicbusiness truth since the beginning of business. And for the mostpart, it's true. But there are times when it's appropriateto tell a particular buyer-the one who saps your strength andwastes your time again and again-that although the customer may beright, the relationship is wrong.

I'm not saying get rid of every customer who is difficult todeal with. I'm suggesting that it may be time to weed out yourcustomer base so you can harvest the greatest rewards. Here aresome ways to do that:

1. Know when to walkaway. Persistence in selling should add value. But ifyou've tried again and again to reach a prospect who justdoesn't understand your product or service, who doesn't seeits value, or with whom you can't establish a connection, itmay be time to walk away. If you're being stubbornly persistentdown a path that leads nowhere, that's counterproductive. Youwant to spend your time where you're getting results.