Prospecting For Your Best Year Ever!

Get Organized And Achieve More

Having a prospecting plan and carrying it out consistently, even when you do not feel like it clearly distinguishes rich salesmen from poor salesmen.

The consistency of blocking out time each week to make contact calls is the highest priority for any rep. Conversely, for the poor salesman prospecting is a hit-and-miss event that is often avoided if possible.

The key to achieving more in sales is often found in strengthening your prospecting disciplines. In speaking to and coaching sales professionals one of the most common remarks I get on prospecting is, "I just need to find a way to get myself better organized and then do it."

I have discovered that knowing how to organize your prospecting efforts is fundamental to developing the discipline to do it. Those that lack the discipline also usually lack personal organization. The following is an effective and highly practical approach that works:

Plan. Set aside time every week (at the end or beginning) to plan your sales activities including prospecting. Schedule a specific time slot(s) for uninterrupted prospecting and follow up.

Block. Time for prospecting is valuable, nothing should interfere. Do not take calls or any unplanned interruptions. Lock yourself in a room and hold all calls if you have to, allow nothing to dilute your scheduled prospecting. (Until I wised up, I allowed virtually any call or person to interrupt me. As you might suspect, I made too little progress on my lead list from week to week).

Note: it is a good idea to avoid coming out of your office for some social time while making prospecting calls. Five minutes in the break room turns into twenty fast.

Vary. Call at different times because it will increase the probability that you will get the customer 'live.' Try non-traditional times like calling before eight in the morning or after five in the evening. Or, call on Friday afternoon between three and five.

Persist. To be good at prospecting you must stick with your plan. Devoting as little time as one hour per week can pay huge dividends over the year. It is feasible to complete about eight prospecting phone calls in an hour.

Note: over the course of twelve months eight calls per week will net at least four hundred possible new contacts. If you get appointments with just twenty-five percent and subsequently close fifty percent of those, that produces fifty more sales for the year. That equals one additional sale every week from prospecting only one hour per week.

Straighten. Clean off a portion of your desk and remove all unnecessary clutter. You do not want any files or notes to distract you when you are on the phone trying to secure an appointment. One hundred percent of your attentiveness must be on the prospect. Place the contacts name, title, company name and any other vital information where it is readily visible. This avoids stammering around, or worse, calling the contact by the wrong name!

You may also want to try standing up versus sitting when making your calls. Standing helps you focus and remain more energetic. Whatever you need to do to be highly focused, confident and energetic do it. Being boring or listless is magnified five times over the phone.

Remember, the first impression you make on the customer sticks. It may be the only shot you get at making an appointment with this prospect. Give it your very best shot on every single call, every day.