Sales is a contact sport and prospecting for new business is the name of the
game! You will never meet a salesperson that failed because they had too
many prospects to talk to. For the majority of salespeople, finding new
customers is without a doubt the most difficult and stressful aspect of the
profession. Prospecting should be viewed more as a mindset rather than
merely as an activity. It is something you need to be constantly aware of
because you never know where your next prospect will be coming from. It
really doesn’t matter how competent you are or how well you know your
product line, if you don’t have a qualified prospect in front of you, you
don’t have a sale.
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1. Prospecting for new business is similar to working out.
You know it is
good for you and it will produce positive results if you do it routinely.
Professional salespeople prospect daily. It is important to block-off
specific time on your calendar for prospecting activities such as phone
calling and emailing. Treat your prospecting time with the same respect as
you would any other important appointment, otherwise, there is a tendency
that it will slip through the cracks. This is not the time to check your
emails, play solitaire on the computer, make a personal phone call or chat
with your associates. Stay focused and take your prospecting seriously. Set
the tone by closing your office door and have your incoming calls held
unless it is a call from a client or a prospect.
2. Be prepared, get organized and take good
notes. It is critical to have
a computerized contact system to record remarks and suspense future contacts
or appointments.
3. Use a script
- don't shoot from the hip. There is only one thing worse
than listening to a salesperson read a script over the phone and that is to
listen to a salesperson without a script. Obviously, it is important to not
only have a script but to practice it until it sounds smooth and natural.
Set aside time to role-play with an associate over the phone. By taking
turns presenting and critiquing you will gain confidence, polish your script
and be more effective. When prospecting, avoid the temptation to sell over
the phone. Your objective is to gather information and make the appointment.
4. Strike while the iron is hot! When working with a new prospect, it is
important to make contact quickly. Prospects are perishable. No matter how
interested a prospect may appear, don’t wait for them to call you. You are
only one of many competing interests for your prospect’s time and money.
5. Keep the high ground and avoid the temptation to badmouth your
competition. While it is fair to make head-to-head comparisons, you should
avoid personal attacks. Attacking your competition makes you look
unprofessional and petty. Emphasize the benefits of your product or service
by guiding your prospect through a comparison of quality and price. Play to
your strengths and not the weakness of your competition. Let your prospect
draw their own conclusions from a well-presented comparison.
6. Rejection is a natural aspect of the sales process so don’t take it
personally. Learn from rejection, use it as a feedback mechanism and look
for ways to improve your presentation. Salespeople who take rejection
personally lack perseverance and seldom make the sale. Sales is a numbers
game pure and simple. As a professional baseball player, if you can average
four hits out of ten times at bat you are heading for the Hall of Fame.
Research indicates that in sales you can expect your prospect to say no five
times before they buy. With this in mind, realize that with every sales
rejection you receive, you are one step closer to making the sale!
About the Author:
John Boe, based in Monterey, CA, is recognized as one of the nation’s
top sales trainers and motivational speakers. He helps companies recruit,
train and motivate quality people. John is a leading authority on body
language and temperament styles. To view his online Video Demo or to have
John Boe speak at your next event, visit http://www.johnboe.com
or call
(831) 375-3668.
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