The Art of Effective Prospecting

We know that Prospecting is nothing more than building and developing relationships. But the simplicity of this statement belies the complexity of actual implementation. Who is my audience? Where is my ideal clientele to be found and how do I reach them? What are the methods at which I excel?

Though aware of the necessity of a healthy sales pipeline and quality leads, those new to sales tend to get spooked by the idea of prospecting. For many business owners, prospecting is the most challenging stage of the sales process. But it’s also one of the most critical. Attention to prospecting is vital, consistency is essential, and an understanding of several approaches is ideal to get the results you want.

The reality is there’s no one “right way” to prospect. Some people flourish behind a keyboard and use social media as their platform. Others are better in person and prefer business canvassing, networking events, or professional referral groups. Some people are good in the moment with spontaneous connections, while others feel more comfortable at a trade show for which they’ve had time to prepare. There are soooo many ways to meet people that it’s important to not get discouraged if one method is either frightening or just doesn’t seem to work for you. You WILL find the right way to reach your audience and draw in your clients!

While you can’t use every prospecting tool out there at once, you do need to ensure that you’re always working with more than one. To get the best results, continually employ several methods of reaching out to your ideal clients. Think of it like cooking a five-course meal: you can’t have it all ready in time if you’ve only got one burner going!

Passive providing of information will not work to get you that client base you’re envisioning. It’s not enough to have a good website with the right offerings and to appear in internet searches when the correct keywords are entered. While these are certainly helpful to your success, you can’t stop there — this passive approach will not get you the sales needed for your business to thrive.

You MUST take action.

When choosing prospecting methods, keep in mind that there’s generally a money-to-time tradeoff. Cold calling is free, but you may end up making 200 calls to generate one lead. Conversely, advertising online will cost you, but once the ad is written and submitted, your time becomes your own again, with the work now passed on to whoever is hosting your ad.

Hosting a seminar will entail both time AND money: prep work, space rental, possibly advertising. It’s a lot of planning, a lot of follow-up, and potentially hefty up-front costs — BUT, this lengthier, costlier investment is more likely to pull in your “bigger” clients.

Buyers are more independent now than ever, evaluating their own needs and looking for solutions to meet them. However, they don’t mind engaging with a salesperson during this process, and being the one who initiates contact is a lot more likely to net you the sale. Don’t underestimate how valuable phone calls and personalized emails can be to your sales.

Give your efforts some time to determine whether they’re truly effective or not. If you try something for only a short time and it doesn’t produce the results you want or you want to rule it out because you’re neither experienced nor comfortable with it, take a deep breath and consider the following:

• Perhaps you’ll be more comfortable and better with this method once you’ve had some practice with it. It may even end up being something you actually enjoy!

• Have you been working with this approach long enough to really evaluate it? Have you been consistent in your work with it? Don’t make a decision based on incomplete data. To this end, ensure that you carefully track your prospecting work:

  • How much time did you spend on each method you’re using?       

  • How many leads were generated from each?

  • How many sales?

• Is it possible that there’s just something in a particular method that requires tweaking? Take a look at your language or specific aspects of your current approach and experiment with those details to see if you get a better result.

And keep in mind that it takes multiple “touches” to get a sale. Your client/customer needs to know you’re there. They need to be aware of why your product or service is something that will benefit them. They must be cognizant of why they should choose YOU above others who, if only on the surface, seem to deliver a solution to the same need that your product or service also fulfills. Repeated exposure to you and your offerings will help your audience see you for what you do and how doing business with you is to their benefit.

So spend time on prospecting. Find the right clients (e.g., what type of client is the most profitable? Conversely, which clients are the MOST work for the LEAST profit?). Consider what those clients need — what problem do they experience that you have the solution for? Then figure out how to best reach them and remember that a variety of approaches is the best strategy! Schedule blocks of your day to do your prospecting work and don’t forget to keep a record of your efforts.

Many buyers are likely to purchase from someone who sought them out and contacted them first. What types of contact will work best? Are phone calls the way to go? What about email? These questions can only be considered with your audience and product/service in mind. Consider the following:

• Who is your sales base?

• What do you provide and what medium/method best showcases it?

• How did you first connect with your best clients thus far?

When you’ve established contact, don’t forget to FOLLOW UP! Remember, there generally need to be multiple connections with a prospective client or customer before a sale is made. And beyond that fact, it’s indisputable that someone is more likely to feel that you’re trustworthy and reliable if they hear from you — especially if you agreed upon a time for a follow-up call or message.

There are too many ways to prospect to cover them all in one guide (or one blog post). Abambyh Business has put the finishing touches on a prospecting guide that will introduce you to a few of the most fundamental methods, with clear action steps outlined. The accompanying workbook will help you to take those steps and keep a record of them. This guide is just the beginning — material on other methods is on the way!

Don't forget that referrals will always be among the absolute best ways to reach your potential clients, and the most reliable way to get those referrals is to have a robust network of fellow professionals. Find your tribe at Abambyh Business's CONNECT: A Retreat for Networking Women in October — meet other businesswomen, create new friendships, and expand your network!

Written by: Tina Harmuth