The Forgotten Art of Prospecting

There are usually two types of sales people, who prospect- New sales reps with an undeveloped client list and Mature sales reps who are in a panic because a large chunk of their business has disappeared.

Quite a few sales people fall somewhere between motivation and desperation when it comes to prospecting. The new sales rep is motivated to get up and running. The mature sales rep has a sense of desperation because they got away from prospecting and may have forgotten how to prospect. The real tough part can come from being caught in the middle also known as the “Comfort Zone”.

When was the last time you prospected a new account? Notice the “a” in a new account. That means just one. This question usually creates discomfort especially when a sales manager asks. Here are some excuses:

• I have been so busy filling orders that I haven’t had time.

• We are a service organization so I’m spending my time servicing.

• I’ve got a few accounts that I’ve been thinking about.

• Isn’t that what all that marketing does?

So why does prospecting create so much stress? Cold Calling is one major hurdle. Everyone loves the results of a magic cold call, where the prospect says, “where have you been all my life”. The tough part is that very rarely does one simple call turn our sales results around.

Here are some tips that you may already be part of your weekly sales routine:

Place a prospect call at unique times. Between 8am and 8:30am or between 5:30 and 6pm are some excellent time frames. These are key times when decision makers have more time to talk and they may be working on a challenge you can help solve.  Friday afternoon is a great time to reach decision makers. Less competition from other sales people and shows that you are willing to work a full week for your client.

Leave voice mail messages at night. It’s better to be the first message your prospect hears in the morning than being trapped in mid-day telephone traffic. Being first increases the odds of a call back. 

Prospecting takes time and efforts start to multiple. Sometimes it will take at least 90 days (sometimes longer or sometimes shorter) to complete the sales cycle. That’s where by prospecting as part of your on-going sales strategy, you will have business developing through out the year.

A cold call should only be a cold call for the prospect. Take the time to find out about the prospect’s organization, the industry, and the prospect. There is a ton of research available that you can use or you can pass it along to the prospect with a note attached “thought this might be or interest”.

Pace yourself. There is a time investment with prospecting. That’s why the new sales person has so much time to invest in prospecting. They actually have lots of time and not so many clients. For mature sales people, they understand that they have to make time for prospecting.

Like any investing - start small with achievable goals. Allocate a specific time each and every week and keep to that schedule. It’s always easy to push prospecting ahead into the good intention lists of tomorrow. Make an appointment with yourself and keep it. Your time is valuable


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