The following tips are tried and true … proven to be effective for
companies across a wide diversity of industries and in many different
geographic areas. Often, the key to success is being flexible and
open-minded about trying something new. If you already have these tips in
your arsenal of tricks, then consider this a refresher, akin to spring
training in which the baseball pros reinforce and perfect already existing
skills. Here goes:
Don’t do the bulk of your business prospecting during prime business
hours. Often the call that is placed at 8AM or 6PM will be received by a
decision-maker that has more time to talk. And don’t under-estimate the
value of leaving voice mail messages at night. These will be the very
first messages that your prospect will hear in the morning, thereby
increasing the odds of them placing a returned call.
If you want to present products and services that are of value to
the prospect and that meet their needs, you have to ASK questions. Ask
the right questions and the prospect will tell you what they want and
how they need to be sold.
Too many sales reps launch into a conversation by discussing the
features of their products and services. Features never sold anyone. The
only thing that a prospect cares about is what these features will do
for them. In other words, speak in terms of benefits and your prospect
will be more pre-disposed to listening to your presentation.
There’s no magic bullet. Prospecting takes time and if your sales
pipeline isn’t always filled with prospects in various stages of being
worked, then you are in for a future sales slump.
Don’t underestimate the power of faxes. In these days of email,
faxes have taken a back seat. Because of that, faxes get noticed.
Carefully position faxes as part of your prospecting efforts.
Follow-up and follow-through are keys to prospecting success. Just
like gardening, if you don’t water the seeds, the garden will languish.
And so it is with prospecting… if you don’t remain in contact, you will
never break through.
Give a prospect something for nothing. An article that would be of
interest and value, information that you received online etc. and
transferred to the prospect with a note "just thought you might be
interested in this" indicates that you are thinking of them and wish to
be a resource.
Periodically tape-record a random sampling of your cold calls.
Listen to the tape and assess your tone and voice. How did you sound?
Would you want to speak with a person who sounds like you? What about
your words? Were they clear and benefits oriented. Taping gives you the
opportunity to self-correct your presentation.
Pace yourself. Prospecting is a very time-consuming and arduous
task. Allocate a specific amount of time each day (week?) and keep to
the schedule. It is always easy to put something ahead of the
prospecting activity but make an appointment with yourself and don’t
break it.
Last but definitely not least, maintain a good sense of humor. Make
the prospect smile and you’re halfway there!
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