You can’t control your prospect’s budget.  You can’t control their recent reorg.  You can’t control what your competitor is going to say, or do, or offer.

You can’t control the economy, or the weather, or your prospect’s busy schedule.

But you can control how many prospects you talk to.  You can control how well you address their specific needs and pain points in the presentation.  You can control the timing, the frequency, the efficacy of your communication with prospects.

You can’t control the timeline your buyers follow, but you can control the sense of urgency and scarcity communicated to that same prospect.

You can control your sales process, and how well you set expectations and committed next steps both for yourself and from your customers.

Whether you’re in a marketing or a sales role, there’s plenty you can’t control.  Don’t fall into the trap of using those things as an excuse or crutch.   Focus on what you can control, and manage those opportunities actively to get the results you want.