Persistence is a virtue. So is prudence. How many times have you heard: Winners never quit and quitters never win? Or, how about this old chestnut: It takes seven "no's" to hear a "yes?" Is persistence important? Yes, but how much persistence is too much? Do buyers view your persistence as an indicator of how hard you will fight for them after the sale?

You can be persistent without being a pest. Most salespeople (80 percent) quit on the first "no" and another 5 percent quit on number two. The goal is not to hear three "no's"—but why would you quit when you face resistance? Maybe it's a slight misunderstanding that can be resolved with patient persistence and open communication.

I used to feature a purchasing agent in my sales courses to tell salespeople what buyers expect. At the time, this person was president of the Purchasing Management Assn. and director of purchasing for a large company. He clarified for salespeople the difference between pushy and persistent. He said, "If you press for an order after I say 'no' because you need to sell something today, you're pushy." On the other hand, "If you press for a commitment when I say 'no' because I really need and should buy your solution, you're persistent." It has everything to do with your motivation. Are you pressing for the customer's benefit or for your benefit?

You can persist by asking questions. Ask open-ended, non-threatening questions that draw out the buyer's concerns. Try to understand why the buyer is hesitating. Demonstrate empathy by acknowledging these concerns. Offer information to reassure the buyer. Provide additional evidence and proof that your solution is the correct one for the customer. Demonstrate your value added. Give the buyer more reasons to say "yes" than "no."

Prudence is your knowing when to walk away from a piece of business. Do you want every order or every opportunity? There is some business you want the competition to have. Too many salespeople persist ad infinitum because they don't know how or when to walk away. They may call on a buyer too many times because they have convinced themselves that one more call will do it. These salespeople have become prisoners-of-hope. And I call these accounts prisoner-of-hope (PH) accounts.

The time you waste calling on PH accounts is time you could have spent pursuing more viable business opportunities. The PH point varies by industry and type of sale, but in your gut you know when you're being strung along. Change strategies when you reach the PH point. Change call frequency and follow up by phone or e-mail. When a viable opportunity with this buyer surfaces, you are still in the loop, but have not wasted your sales time. Successful salespeople persist. The most successful salespeople persist prudently.