If you want to make a lot of money from home fast as a marketing consultant -- and want to skip one of the biggest "learning curves" there is -- then this article will show you how.

Look, like it or not, believe it or not, think it sane or not...there are a lot of small business owners who LOVE talking to consultants. They love hiring consultants. But...they also love not paying consultants or implementing any of the things you tell them.

Even if your advice is almost guaranteed to multiply their profits. And even if they are hemorrhaging money and need it badly.

And I'm here to tell you right now, if you want to be a marketing consultant...and make a lot of money at it very fast...you need to be able to identify these particular people. You need the ability to see through their fake enthusiasm and nonsense so you don't spend even one second of your time with them.

Luckily, you don't need to be able to read minds to identify them, either. No, you just need to follow the advice I'm about to give you. If you do, you're all but guaranteed never to waste your valuable time with these people.

Listen: The key to finding the best, most profitable business deals is to qualify everyone you talk to heavily upfront. Even to the point that may turn people away.

Hey, I know that sounds almost backwards, but it's true. Especially if you want to make money at this fast.

And while there are many ways of qualifying clients before working with them, the critical qualifier is -- and I will say this sometimes after a tele-marketer sets an appointment or I'm calling to confirm the appointment myself -- to literally say:

"Now, Mr. Business Owner, let me just confirm. Do you really want to grow? Is that right? Are you ready to grow your business?"

Again, this may sound insane and unbelievable. But the fact is there are a lot of business owners who don't really care about growing. They don't really want to make more money. They just like the idea of taking up your time and talking with you.

And so the last thing you should want to do is spend any time with these people at all. They will sap your own excitement and drive to succeed. And they will happily take as much time as you are willing to give them...without giving you so much as one penny in return.

And that's why, if you want to make sure you don't get caught up with one of these "limp" clients, it is absolutely mandatory that you make sure you ask Mr. Business Owner if he's really ready to grow. Really wanting to make more money. Really serious.

Unfortunately, more often than you may think, they're not. And you need to avoid them like the plague. That then frees up your time and energy to work with the people who do care and who do want to grow -- and pay you handsomely for your part in that growth.