Selling to Zebras

Experienced lions don’t waste time pursuing the wrong prey.

If lions aren’t good hunters, they starve. Young lions often spend their energy fruitlessly pursuing animals they can’t catch or easy-to-catch critters that are too small to make sustainable meals. Experienced lions never waste time on too elusive or insubstantial prey, however. Instead, they target zebras.

Zebras are the animals lions have the best opportunity to run down, kill and eat. Moreover, zebras are big enough to provide sufficient meat for a pride. 

Like lions, salespeople must focus on ideal Zebra prospects.

Inept salespeople often waste time trying to sell to lower-level executives in the wrong firms. Junior execs usually lack the jurisdiction to authorize purchases and may not know their company’s needs. Many times, badly targeted firms don’t need the salesperson’s products or services – a fact that salespeople waste time learning.

Smart salespeople don’t waste time on any targets except the most promising prospects: the Zebras of the business world. They pursue only legitimate senior-...