Prospecting involves casting your net far and wide to determine where the more promising opportunities lie. Think of it as a market reconnaissance mission. Far from being a hit-or-miss exercise where you cannot easily anticipate how well things will go, the art of prospecting is actually a very precise way of determining the most efficient use of your marketing dollars. Here are some tips in prospecting:
Look before you Leap
Prospecting involves time and money. To avoid wasting both, you need to do some research beforehand. Read local trade magazines and newspapers. Pinpoint the organisations, areas, churches, groups, and networks to which your target market belongs.
Make sure that your target customers truly belong to these groups before you finalise your prospecting plans. Furthermore, contact your friends and acquaintances to see if they can introduce you directly to your prospects.
Systematise
The goal of prospecting is to gather as much useful information using the least amount of resources possible. Thus, you need a definite prospecting plan outlining your prospecting dates, locations, activities, and goals. This will let you cover the widest area possible and the greatest number of prospects without spending more than the necessary amount of time and money.
Careful planning, moreover, will let you prioritise highly productive business activities.
Generate Impact!
Of course, prospecting won't be very effective if you can't create a favourable impression on your prospects. To ensure that you are remembered or referred, briefly explain what you do and offer in the most interesting way.
For example, if you're in the construction business, you can provide energy-saving construction advice to people who are planning to build their own homes. Save your sales slides in your handheld device, so you can do an impromptu presentation whenever an opportunity arises.
Lastly, don’t forget to distribute professional-looking business cards containing pertinent information – the services your offer, your contact numbers and a website they can check for more information.
Remember one more thing. Be creative! Create opportunities where apparently none exists. Turn PTA meetings, wedding receptions, grand openings, and other similar activities into prospecting opportunities. As an alternative, you can let a professional "mine" your market for you; you can also purchase a leads list from a reputable list company.
How to attract new business leads - To learn more about this author, visit Mark Gwilliam's Website.
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Leanne Hoagland Smith
Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales success or one of the many who have failed to change? So what are you doing to change those results? Let’s be honest, with companies moving globally and at lightening speeds, the traditional business solutions are outdated and dead. My approach moves your business out of its comfort zone and secures your competitive advantage now. If you are seeking to increase sales, build customer loyalty, create a culture of great attitudes or just achieve some sleep filled nights, then we should talk because my clients have experienced exactly those types of results. Learn more about customer loyalty at http://www.processspecialist.com/customer-loyalty.htm Give me a call at 219.759.5601 for a free strategy session. P.S. If you are seeking a motivational speaker, sales trainer or small business expert that will leave your audience smiling and remembering, please feel free to contact me at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland Smith's Website |
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Mark Gwilliam
(Visit Mark's Website)
Mark Gwilliam, FCCA, uses his
international experience to coach small
business owners on how to run successful
businesses. He combines his natural
enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge with
his proven ability to provide practical
down-to-earth solutions for his clients.
He has written several books and owns
several companies which offer small
business owners integrated business
solutions. He writes several business
articles in his weekly newsletters “The
Bizness” and “Successful Marketing
Strategies”. To read these and to have
access to more tools and resources to
turbo charge your business, visit his
sites at www.thema
rketingdude.com and www.mark-gwi
lliam.com
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