Do you have prospects that seem to give you the runaround? Maybe they expressed interest in your product or service when you first contacted them, but now they don’t return your calls, reply to your e-mails or seem interested in making buying decisions.

Persistence is an essential trait that all successful salespeople should possess. The ability to stick with a specific task, continue in the face of adversity or use different strategies to achieve your goal is critical if you want a long-term career in sales and business.

However, there is a distinct difference between persistence and beating your head against a wall trying to convince a prospect to buy your products or services. Recent conversations reminded me how often people get caught in the trap of thinking they can — or should — close every deal that comes their way.

Simply put, there comes a time when you have to let go and give up. But if you’re not quite prepared to do that, here are five suggestions that may turn that cold potato into a hot one:

There are lots of things that contribute to your success. Your product or service. Your technical knowledge. Your willingness to go the extra mile. That certain “something” that makes you different from anyone else out there. Of course the thing you might not think of, but is as critically important as any of the others, is the people who work for (with) you.

One of the best things you can do for your business is to treat the people who work for you well. Face it, you can’t be everywhere… the staff you hire are your company as far as customers and prospects are concerned. They reflect on you and your business. Recognize their efforts, reward performance and encourage teamwork and you’ll build a loyal staff of people who are worth their weight in gold.

I was speaking to an audience of more than 600 at an expo in Las Vegas when I asked a rhetorical question: “Do you believe men and women are different?” A man sitting in the back took this as his opportunity to vent. He stood up and shouted, “Not just yes. Hell yes!” Obviously he was dealing with some issues he needed resolved, but in truth, his answer was as honest as it gets.

Of course men and women are different. But it wasn’t that long ago that America tried extremely hard to unisex the sexes. And it hasn’t been until the last decade that people are starting to bravely state the obvious: Men and women are different. “Different” is not a negative word. It doesn’t mean “less than” or “inadequate.” It simply means “not the same.”

You’d think the pollsters, with the 2008 election so tantalizingly close, would have their hands full with weighty questions on party and platform. 

And yet, nearly 1,000 small business owners and consumers were surveyed in August not on their preference for a candidate, but rather on their spending intentions and capacity. The survey, conducted for Discover’s Small Business Watch by Rasmussen Reports, LLC an independent research firm. also asked for opinions on the economy and a rating of personal finances. 

Back in June, if you’d believed the slew of reports, recession was on the way… trouble was on the horizon… and everyone should beware. There was a post here that questioned the dire economic news of the times. I guess someone forgot to tell these small business owners things were bad and sure to get worse. Instead the small business owners economic confidence rose for the second month in a row.