Practical Tips for Making Prospecting a “Win-Win” Proposition
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Free Download - There’s an APP for That! By Patrick T. Malone |
Of all the competencies associated with superior sales skill, prospecting is the weakest link. Most salespeople despise prospecting. "I'm too busy," "I don't have any prospects," "I've tried and that doesn't work" are just a few of the excuses you hear or may have said yourself. Yet effective prospecting is a vital part of successful campaigns to gain new business. Becoming a master prospector can spell the difference between being a merely competent salesperson and a stellar one. So what holds us back and how can we succeed more often?
The reality is most salespeople fear prospecting because they are set up for failure. If you consider a call that ends with "no" a losing call, you will inevitably lose far more often than you win. Instead, try to see prospecting as a systematic gathering of information in a "win-win" atmosphere.
The truth is that out of a thousand possible buyers, perhaps only a few hundred are willing to talk with you and able to buy. Prospecting is trying to find them without wasting today trying to sell the other eight hundred.
Think of it this way: Instead of trying to push your product or service, you are trying to uncover needs and problems that your product or service can help solve. This respectful approach is more likely to spark a prospect's interest. And it helps you. After all, if the prospect has no need for or interest in what you're selling, why waste your time with that person?
Here's how to open a conversation positively and determine if you have a qualified prospect. First, begin with a confidently stated and respectful opening statement. Good opening statements contain:
A confidently stated business reason for the call.
An invitation to talk about the prospect's business and an openness to improvement options.
An acknowledgment that the prospect is a decision-maker who is in control.
Following a well presented opening statement, prospects will open up. Once they are willing to talk, the mission then shifts to whether they're able to buy. To find out, sound business questions must be used to qualify:
The potential need, opportunity or problem your product or service can address.
The decision making process and who is involved.
Resources available including time, money, space, and technical expertise.
Ask these questions with respect and listen to the prospect's responses for both factual content and emotional attitude. This will help you read the prospect's responses accurately and determine if you have a qualified prospect.
Trying to talk unqualified prospects into becoming qualified is as futile and as frustrating as trying to talk rocks into becoming gold. Instead, spend your time searching for the "gold". If a prospect says no, consider that a win rather than a lose. Because the truth is-the faster you get someone to disqualify him or herself, the faster you can move on to someone else who is willing and able to buy.
The right attitude, strong opening statements, good qualifying questions and respecting your prospects' decisions, whether yes or no, will result in greater cooperation and more positive and successful prospecting.
Practical Tips for Making Prospecting a WinWin Proposition - To learn more about this author, visit Patrick T. Malone's Website.
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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