One of my former recruitment colleagues used to say that time kill deals.
(If you’re reading this, thanks Paul!)
“Time kills deals” is one of the best statements I’ve ever heard regarding the importance of closing the sale while things are moving along and not waiting for things to cool off.
It’s true though. Anyone who has ever been in sales knows what it’s like to leave a meeting with a potential customer feeling like you have the sale in the bag…only to then not hear from this person for several days or a week or longer. At some point, you realize you have lost the momentum you had
And it just a statement for salespeople to think about ether.
From a job search perspective, time kills deals can be related to how quickly you get back to your recruiter with an answer they need, or how quickly you respond to a potential hiring manager’s request for your references for example. The longer you wait the more likely that they’ll lose interest and possibly move to the next person on the list.
Usually, it’s procrastination that kills deals. How many times have you thought to yourself about picking up the phone to call someone who can positively influence your career only to then decide against it and instead choose to call them the next day or the day after that. By then it might be too late.
In general terms I think the reason why time kills deals is that the longer the person you’re dealing with goes without doing the deal with you, the more they realize that perhaps they don’t need you – or the deal – that much after all.
