Let’s keep things a bit simple today. We already know that in order to succeed in sales you need to prospect for new clients. Prospecting, however, is everyone’s least favorite part of the job. We’d much prefer to have a preloaded list of interested parties so that we could instead spend all of our time making our presentations and closing the sale.

Sadly, life isn’t that simple and no one is going to hand you a list of prescreened prospects. You’ll have to find them yourself, and in order to do so you’ll have to try a few of the following methods:

Networking

I like to think of networking as building a list of contacts that will work for you over time, but in this case I mean you need to ask about and rely on the networks of your clients. If one of your clients calls or emails his friends to talk about your work, the chances of you making a sale are much higher than if you had approached that other company’s CEO on your own. In short, ask your current clients to refer you to their counterparts.

Get on the Phone

We all hate cold calling, but for some reason this often avoided sales technique is often the most effective. Pick up the phone, dial a number, make your presentation, and then repeat the process. Cold calling takes time (probably one of the reasons so many people avoid it) but it works.

Just Ask

Ask for referrals. This is not the same as networking because you aren’t asking your clients to contact their friends on your behalf, but you are asking them if they know anyone who might need your services. Don’t limit yourself. If you’re speaking to a prospect ask him if he or she might know someone who’s interested in what you have to offer – just because they aren’t ready doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate or understand the value of what you do.

There are dozens of prospecting techniques and you’ll learn about and try to implement many of them. I highly encourage experimentation, but whenever you find yourself in a rut remember one thing. These three prospecting methods are the oldest and most frequently used for a reason – they work. Whenever you hit a bump in the road, return to one of these methods and you’ll find yourself back on track.

Enjoy your weekend!

Sean

Sean McPheat