By their very nature, salespeople tend to be optimists. They have to be. When you deal with daily rejection from prospects, the one thing that keeps you going is the idea that the next big sale is just around the corner. In that setting, having an optimistic outlook is invaluable.

That said, it’s all too easy for unchecked optimism to get the better of a well-meaning sales rep. As an entrepreneur, small business owner, or sales manager, it’s important to evaluate sales opportunities objectively, and to learn how to filter out the inherent optimism of a sales rep. This allows you to avoid countless headaches and uncertainties down the line.

If you know what to listen for, you can easily identify when you are drifting into the “subjectively zone”. You just need to know what the warning signs are. To help, I’ve compiled a top 10 list of sales rep expressions that should serve as red flags.

10. “I think …” Nothing says “I’m not sure” more loudly than “I think.” It sounds logical and informed, but there’s a decided lack of confidence in this statement.

9. “I believe …” Sales is not a subjective process. A sales rep who says “I believe” likely means something closer to “If I had to guess.” It’s information that this sales rep suspects might be true, but hasn’t confirmed.

8. “I’m pretty sure …” There’s nothing quantifiable in this statement. It’s a guess.

7. “I’m hoping …” This is a statement coming from pure, subjective optimism.

6. “It’s a done deal, if …” When you hear this statement, it usually means that the prospect isn’t sold, and the rep thinks they need a sweetener to stay convince them. It’s not a done deal, and it may not even be close to being one.

5. “It feels like …” Emotions aren’t a part of the sales process, and you should never be willing to bet your business on a feeling. If a sales rep answers a question with a “feeling,” something hasn’t been nailed down. Sometimes, this can be couched as “It seems like,” which is just as big of a red flag.

4. “I can’t imagine …” When you hear this from a sales rep, discount everything that follows it. It’s another example of emotion and guesswork leaking into the process. You want facts here, not imagination.

3. “No, but I’m going to …” What a rep is going to do is irrelevant. What matters is what they’ve actually done.

2. “It looks good, but …” Everything looks good to the average sales rep, and the tell is the “but” that follows. Even worse is when that’s followed by ” well … here’s the thing.” Anything that follows “well … here’s the thing” is something that you’re not going to like.

1. “I sent an email …” Does anything that’s really important in life or in business ever get handled solely by email? Unless you’re a solely online business, no. Salespeople need to talk to people to see results. An email just doesn’t cut it. When a sales rep says they sent an email, your response should be to tell them to get on the phone or set up a face-to-face meeting.

To hear more thoughts from this top 10 list, as well as a few honorable mentions that didn’t make it in, click here to check out my podcast.