Day after day, I see salespeople take the POLARR (Path of Least & REAL Resistance) Path and send me messages via LinkedIn, E-Mail, Facebook and other electronic means to try and sell me their products and services. I also get numerous LinkedIn requests from "business development" people trying to sell me something.

I delete them, I never connect, and I never respond…

Now, that may sound rude. But in my mind, if you don't have the time and professionalism to research me and my company, and make an effort via the telephone, are you really a consummate salesperson with my best interests at heart? If you don't know our company, our phone numbers, our email addresses, did you really do any work to EARN our time in evaluating your products/services? Are you tracking your "touches" or "impressions" to us via CRM, knowing it will take 8-15 times to even earn the opportunity to present your solution(s)?

Too many salespeople lead with an email or social media and it's always about them, their company, their products and services from a "features and benefits" standpoint. Seasoned business professionals and executives are interested in WIIFT (What's In It For Them) and want somebody to sell them professionally by having their needs researched and matched with products and services that either help them MAKE or SAVE money.

Our team is trained to research companies and business professionals, call them in a humble and professional manner, and ask for the opportunity to showcase our products/services. Our e-mails are to follow-up phone calls, and they outline bullet points on how our products and services match up well to our prospect's needs. We are also using USPS Postal Mail as integral part of our sales process, as we seem to have a better shot at getting on a prospect's desk, than in their desktop!

We certainly aren't perfect, but will never send blind emails and messages to prospects in the POLARR Path manner, taking the easy way out of EARNING a prospect's trust and hopefully, their business. There are no short cuts in professional selling, and those that take it will never earn my business.

And I know I cannot be the only business professional who feels this way.