If you’re new to sales do you know…

• Where to prospect?
• How to prospect?
• When to prospect?

Chances are you don’t!  Let me offer some thoughts/suggestions/best practices:

Where to prospect? 

• Existing customers

• Use our Customer Penetration Checklist to identify opportunities
• Make sure you look to leverage other departments, divisions or subsidiaries

• Referrals
  • Use our referral email template to find high quality prospects
• “Win Back” former customers
  • Use our “We Want you Back” email template to solicit former/dormant customers
• Website leads/Call-ins
  • Call inbound leads within five minutes of receipt
• Leads from Marketing/Marketing campaigns
  • Call inbound leads within five minutes of receipt
• New business development efforts
  • Leverage past success to win future business…target the industries you’ve already had success in to find high quality prospect

How to prospect? 

• Create a powerful 15 to 18 second script
• Know/Practice delivering your company’s unique value proposition (UVP) or Elevator Pitch
• Set realistic prospecting goals
• Get in the right mindset for prospecting
• Quickly qualify/disqualify opportunities
• Schedule a minimum of one hour per day for prospecting
• Utilize some (if not all) of the following:
  • Referrals
  • Leverage your circle of influence (Friends, family and/or acquaintances)
  • Phone calls
  • Emails
  • Social media feeds
  • Direct mail
  • Attend trade shows/conferences
  • Attend Chambers of Commerce events
  • Attend industry events/symposiums
  • Send/Forward newsletters (Electronic or hard copy)
  • Canvas/Knock on doors

When to Prospect?

• Always prospect…especially when your pipeline is full!
• Start every day with a business development activity
  • Versus checking email, voice mail or driving in to the office
• Know your biorhythms
  • If you’re a morning person prospect in the morning (between 8 and 9 AM)
  • If you need three cups of coffee to get your heart started…prospect in the afternoon (between 4 and 6 PM)
• Data shows Wednesdays and Thursdays are good days to prospect

If you follow my advice in this blog you will absolutely become a prospecting Rock Star!