Most sales teams waste time on the wrong prospects. They chase people who are perfectly happy with their current provider. They push for meetings. They send proposals. They follow up relentlessly.

Here’s what they’re missing: 93% of your audience isn’t ready to buy. If they’re successful, they already have someone fulfilling their services. You can’t hard sell your way past that reality. When you try, you come off as desperate or pushy.

The better approach is simple. Build the relationship now. Position yourself as the next man up.

Every Provider Fails Eventually

Successful companies grow. Their vendors, subcontractors, and consultants don’t always keep up with that growth. Key people get overwhelmed or leave the company. Decision makers at your prospect change, so relationships change. The current provider stops communicating or delivers poor quality work.

The failure isn’t always dramatic. It’s often a mismatch that develops over time. The company outgrows what their provider can handle. When that happens, they need a replacement.

The question is whether they think of you first.

Why People Stay in Bad Situations

Switching providers requires work. The prospect has to search for alternatives, vet new options, and manage the transition. If they’re already stressed about their current provider’s performance, adding more work to their plate keeps them stuck.

You eliminate that friction by staying present. When they finally hit the breaking point, they don’t need to search. They call you asking if you can help them out of a pinch.

That’s the moment all your relationship-building pays off.

What Staying Present Actually Means

Drop-ins. Emails with relevant articles. Friendly notes. Add them to your email announcements. Connect with them on LinkedIn. The tactics aren’t complicated, massive, or expensive.

What matters is the approach. Be helpful and caring, rather than focusing on what you can get from them. Ask how their work is going. Offer free advice to improve their situation with their current vendor. Share industry insights. Talk about their hobbies or kids.

Stay client-focused and spread things out. Set a reminder in your CRM to check in monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, or annually, depending on the prospect’s size and response level.

The difference between staying present and being annoying is simple. You’re building trust instead of selling them. It’s a mix of sales check-ins and marketing that keeps your brand top of mind.

The Patience Problem

Most sales teams can’t execute this strategy. They’re measured quarterly. Their manager wants pipeline numbers now. Investing months or years in prospects who might never convert feels wrong.

The solution is finding a mix. Work on smaller, faster-closing deals while planting seeds that pay off big in the future. Put 80% of your focus on quicker wins. Use the remaining 20% to build relationships with bigger opportunities.

Marketing can help keep you top of mind through emails, newsletters, tradeshows, social media, swag, gifts, and digital advertising. You don’t have to carry the entire load yourself.

Start Tomorrow

List out your 10 top prospects. Research the decision makers, companies, competitors, and industry to learn about them. Give them personalized outreach and have real conversations with them.

The salespeople who succeed with this strategy share three traits: patience, consistency, and focus on the buyer.

They’re in it for the long haul. They don’t rely on 2-3 big prospects. They build a portfolio of dozens of relationships, knowing some will convert and some won’t.

Position yourself as the next man up starting today. When their current provider slips, you’ll be the first person they call.