Spotting the timewaster before he costs you the afternoon

The timewaster rarely announces himself. He looks like a lead, asks like a lead, and only reveals himself in the pattern — which means you can learn the pattern.

The tells

He will not answer a straight question, dodges every screening step while wanting more detail from you, pushes to move off your terms immediately, or leads with the price and nothing else. One of these is nothing. Two together is your answer.

Let the page do the filtering

Most of them never survive a real screening step. An etiquette page and a form that asks for something concrete quietly remove the men who were only ever going to talk — before you have spent a word on them.

Do not argue, disengage

You owe a timewaster nothing, least of all a debate. A calm non-answer and your attention elsewhere costs you nothing; persuading him costs you the evening. Your time is the product. Spend it on the people who respect that.

You cannot stop the wrong enquiry arriving. You can stop it landing on you.

A screening form and an etiquette page do most of this automatically — part of every Signature build.