Prospecting in business is a word that elicits feelings of joy to dread. After all, many small business owners to sales professionals content that prospecting is hard work. For some, they strike more veins of Fool's Gold are hit than the real gold. So if the rewards from your prospecting efforts are not where they want to be, what are you doing to change the results?
Winning in prospecting begins by having the following essential items:
#1 - Healthy mule or horse (vehicle) - How you get to all those potential gold fields is very much dependent upon your mode of transportation. Keeping your horse well maintained will allow it to serve you longer and not require as many serious trips to the vet (a.k.a. automobile mechanic).
Tools - What tools you decide to bring along can either make or break your prospecting success. These tools include: professional business cards; variety of marketing and selling scripts; well crafted executive marketing summary; engaging 30 second elevator speech; thank you notes; marketing materials; follow-up process; search engine optimized website; goal achievement worksheet; and a proven sales process.
Skills - Knowing how and when to use your tools are directly connected to your marketing, selling, self-leadership or overall sales skills. When you hone your prospecting skills, you will know how to identify the real gold (qualified potential customers) from Fool's Gold (suspects and prospects).
Map - Where to find and how to get to all of those gold fields can be found within your map. Since a map is really a plan in how to get to where you want to go, you must carry and look at your plan on a daily basis. This map should be researched based upon your past prospecting and sales history including numbers such as total sales; total active clients; total lost clients; average sales value; number of sales per clients, etc. Additionally, your map should scrutinize the specific terrain (demographics and psychographics) of your desired gold field (target market).
Belief - Even with the best horse, the most effective tools, incredibly honed sales skills, marketing and self leadership skills and the most detailed map, unless you believe in your ability to prospect, you can forget everything else. If you wake up dreading each morning, then you definitely need a change of attitude. If you believe that the economy has gone south, then you need change that belief. What I share with my clients is "Change your Beliefs; Improve Your Results." Winning in prospecting begins and ends with your brain.
Take Sales Coaching Tip: Put together a detailed map, check out your tools, hone your sales skills and keep those beliefs positive and directed. The end result will increase sales and you will be a winner in building your business through better prospecting.
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Chicago Sales Coach Leanne Hoagland-Smith works with you to help you achieve your Sales Goals Because the Real Issue Is Not Do They Know It (Sales Knowledge), But Do They Want to Do It (Sales Attitudes)?
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