the amount of time spent on social media.
Using social media is just one method of
prospecting and should not supersede the
others.
Use every method available
There are a number of methods available
for prospecting such as cold calling,
email marketing, inbound marketing,
networking, trade shows and conferences,
direct mail, social media, referrals,
seminars, etc. The salesperson should have
a list of all methods available to him or her
and plan for the time that’ll be set aside
for each method as well as the number of
prospects that should be gained from each
effort. For example, for each networking
event, 2 new prospects.
Qualify prospects
Having many contacts is important
because it increases the chances of getting
leads that suit the company. This is the
process of ‘separating the wheat from the
chaff.’ Not every contact is suitable for your
organization and in order to determine
good fit, one would have to go through a
qualifying process of determining if there
is need for your product solution, if the
lead has the financial resources to buy
your product solution and if the contact
person has the authority to make the
purchase decision.
Write scripts
Scripts are useful because they allow the
salesperson to rehearse and memorize the
words intended for each prospect. Through
scripts one can choose the language that
suits themselves and different types of
prospects.
Focus on the outcome
Prospecting for customers is the process
of identifying, prioritizing and qualify-
ing sales opportunities from new cus-
tomers. From the flow of prospects, an
organization increases its chances for
continued existence. Typically, busi-
nesses will lose 10% to 15% of its cus-
tomer base every year due to gradual at-
trition. Without prospecting, the entire
customer base will eventually erode.
be confident enough to approach others
whether through the phone or face-to-
face. However, to make the process a little
easier it does help to do a little research
on the prospect. Be clear as well on the
value the prospect will get as a result of
interacting with you. Keep your records updated
Get into a positive mental
state Nurture relationships over
time
The process of prospecting truly requires
grit and resilience. A good part of this
is based on internal conversations that
include telling yourself you’ll succeed,
looking for the best in people and
expecting good things to happen, and
visualizing success. All relationships including business
relationships are built over time. Through
consistent and relentless pursuit of clients,
one recognizes that prospecting is a long
term plan for success; not a race to get the
most immediate ‘yes.’
Listen carefully
This helps in properly assessing needs and
determining where in the buying journey
the prospect is.
Encourage customer
referrals
At the beginning the main point of
prospecting is to get through the door.
Trying to sell your company’s product
solutions at this time may be premature.
Allow your prospect to be comfortable
with you and then book an appointment
with them that will allow you to gauge if
the effort should be pursued any further. Consider offering your customers a reward
for referring others for example, offering
special discounts on their next purchase
from you for each successful referral.
Don’t dismiss cold calling There is a high likelihood that your
prospect will challenge you on your
company’s offer as compared to that of a
competitor. It’s important that you’re well
aware of what your competition is offering
and what differentiates you, that is, your
core business value.
A lot of people would argue that cold
calling is ineffective and encourage a
way to ‘warm up’ the cold prospect.
There are times however, this may not
be feasible. Ideally, salespeople should
Have intelligence on your
competition
It’s important to constantly update where
in the sales funnel a prospect lies. Ideally
these records should be updated on a daily
basis or at least on every day of prospecting
efforts.
Address your contact by
name
This might seem simple but it is so crucial
…and be able to spell their name correctly.
In conclusion, the following quote truly
captures what it takes to successfully close
a prospect: “The number of sales calls it
takes to close a sale is determined more
by your own belief system than by the
customer’s willingness to buy.” - Mark
Hunter
Reference: https://smallbusiness.chron.
com/benefits-sales-prospecting-63931.
html.
Marion Wakahe is a marketing
enthusiast, currently working with
Sapphire Marketing Limited. You
can engage her on this or related
matters via mail at: MWakahe@
gmail.com.