Where Are You Spending Your Focus?

In the whirlwind of modern sales, it’s easy to fall into the trap of motion without meaning activity without accomplishment. Salespeople, only driven by numbers and noise, are often pulled in a thousand directions, chasing every inquiry, every “maybe,” every shiny object that distracts from what really matters. But here’s the truth:

 “Success in sales doesn’t come from doing everything, it comes from focusing on the right things.”

The Curse of the Scattergun Approach

Many sales professionals’ pride themselves on multitasking, being everywhere at once, and chasing down every potential opportunity. But that’s not strategy, that’s survival mode. And survival mode doesn’t scale. It burns out talent, dilutes results, and erodes profitability.

When you try to serve everyone, you serve no one well. Your brand becomes blurred, your value gets diluted, and your best clients, the ones who value you most, don’t get the detailed attention they deserve.

“Sales is not a game of chasing—it’s a game of choosing”

The Power of Focus
Focus is a force multiplier. When a salesperson chooses to concentrate their efforts on high-quality, high-value relationships, everything shifts results improve, stress decreases, and profitability soars.

Let’s get even more specific: Your focus should be on you’re A/B-level clients. These are the clients who:

• Are profitable
• Respect your time and expertise
• Value your solutions, not just your prices
• Are collaborative, responsive, and relationship-oriented

By contrast, C, D, and E-level clients typically demand more, spend less, respect you less, and often treat you like a commodity. Why do so many salespeople give them so much attention? Because they’re reactive, not intentional.

Let’s fix that!

1. Define and Categorize Your Clients

Start with a clear-eyed client audit. Take your current client list and sort it into A, B, C, D, E & F categories:

• A-level clients: Your dream clients. They bring you consistent business, pay on time, communicate well, and value your ideas.
• B-level clients: Solid, growing clients. With more attention and strategy, they can become A level clients.
• C-level clients: periodic buyers, hit or miss, margin fluctuations frequently.
• D-level clients: tend to be price shoppers, sporadic buyers, change midstream.
• E-level clients: High-maintenance, low-margin,
• F-level clients are time-drainers, unresponsive, or erratic buyers, and usually disrespectful or toxic.

The F level MUST BE dismissed immediately – no question!

Application Example: One of my clients realized 70% of their time was spent on D&E level clients generating less than 15% of their revenue. After refocusing their efforts on A and B clients, their close rate improved by 22% in just three months without working harder.

2. Give Your Best Clients the Best of You

Your A and B level clients should get first-class service, first-access to new ideas, and consistent proactive communication. They deserve the best packaging, the best campaign strategies, and regular check-ins. Why? Because these are the relationships that pay off long-term.

Application Example: A sales rep I mentored created a quarterly “VIP kit” for their top 10 clients. It included trend reports, creative samples, and a personalized note. Not only did it deepen loyalty, but it generated over $120K in new orders in one quarter alone without a single discount.

3. Stop Reacting, Start Orchestrating

Sales is not a game of “wait and pounce.” You’re not a firefighter; you’re a conductor. Control your calendar. Block focused time for strategic outreach to your best clients. Use discovery questions that open deeper conversations. Share campaign ideas, not just product suggestions.

Application Example: A client of mine implemented 90-minute weekly “focus blocks” to call only their top-tier clients with strategic suggestions. They sent curated case studies, offered campaign ideas, and used AI tools to tailor their outreach. That week, they landed a five-figure apparel program—with no samples and no bidding war.

4. Eliminate or Reassign the Energy Vampires

Let’s be brutally honest: Some clients are bad for your business. They kill your energy, demand more than they pay for, and drag down your mindset. You don’t need to fire them with fireworks, but you do need a plan. Consider these options:

• Raise your minimum order requirements,
• Introduce handling or design fees,
• Reassign them to an internal staff member or a trained virtual assistant,
• Gracefully offboard them.

Application Example: One rep I advised started billing for mockups, shipping, and rush orders for their lowest-tier clients. Half disappeared. The rest became far more respectful. Revenue stayed the same, margin and morale improved dramatically – a win!

5. Create a Focus Ritual

Start each day or week by answering:
“Where will I focus this week to drive the most value?” This could mean setting meetings with top clients, developing one new campaign idea, or following up on only those projects that move the needle.

Application Example: I coach reps to keep a “Top 10 Focus List” on their desk. These are the accounts with the most opportunity, most alignment, and most growth potential. Every week, ask: Did I serve these 10 well? If not, why?

I have consistently found these rituals drive clarity, consistency, and most importantly, intentionality.

Final Thought: The Hidden Cost of Distraction
Every moment spent chasing low-quality leads is a moment stolen from your best clients. And the cost isn’t just financial, it’s emotional, relational, and strategic.

“Focus is not just a tactic—it’s your edge.”

Here’s Your Call to Action:

This month, audit your focus.
Ask yourself:

• Who gets the best of my attention?
• Where do I create the most value?
• What relationships deserve more of me?
• What distractions am I tolerating that are costing me real growth?

If you want to grow your business, stop asking, “Who can I serve?” and start asking, “Who should I serve?”

Because when you focus on the right people, the right results will follow.

Until next Month, Continued ‘good selling’ - CQ