A mentor once told me; the moment we stop prospecting for business is the moment we are out of business. Hurts. But it is so true. He went on to say that we didn’t have to like it – but we did have to do it. Stinks. But it is also true.
Let’s get the crappy part out of the way right now:
- Prospecting is not fun
- Prospecting takes time
- Prospecting has a high failure rate
- Prospecting can be the most humbling experience you as a salesperson will ever encounter.
It doesn’t matter. You still have to do it. You don’t have to like it – but if you want to be successful, you have to do it.
Are we talking about cold calling? Not necessarily. We are talking about reaching out to people that may not want to talk to you about something they may not want to buy. A risky proposition for many salespeople. Some salespeople would rather wait for a HOT website lead. Wait for the phone to ring. Wait for an email from a prospect in desperate need. That’s a lot of waiting!
OK, how often have any of those things happened to you this year? Exactly. Maybe once. Twice, tops? You had your “lay-down” this year. Now it’s time to go out and talk to people that may not want to talk to you about something they may not want to buy.
Let’s review ways to prospect:
- Referrals & introductions. When was the last time you asked a good client who (or who else)
they knew that could use what you sell?
- Current clients/customers. Bet you are not 100% entrenched in all of your current accounts. Find out who else (in other departments) you should talk to (and get introduced)
- Networking events, Organizations, Associations. Where do your prospects hang out? Go there. Most industries have organizations that are target-rich in prospects for you.
- LinkedIn. It’s expected. Find prospects. Engage them. Get invited in to have a discussion about their issues. Your competitors are. And remember, it’s a longer play – don’t jump too quickly.
- Stop in. Yes. Stop driving past facilities that you know by your products & services. Pull in the lot, get out of your car, and do your thing. It’s your job.
- Targeted emails. To the right audience. With the right message. It can work. But please make sure your Subject Line is compelling (so important).
- Cold Calls. Believe it or not there are salespeople that still open wonderful opportunities by cold calling over the phone. There are more lists of prospects than you can imagine.
Or you can sit back & blame marketing for the lack of leads. Blame your company for your “crappy
territory.” Blame your competition for having better relationships than you. Hell, blame the economy – remember when that used to work? Your boss would love all of these excuses!
