Mark Keating, CEO of SalesGuru cannot emphasise enough the importance of prospecting. The biggest problem, he believes, is that most salespeople are simply not prospecting enough and not prospecting correctly. Here is his advice on how to prospect like a sales guru:
- Lead with a value-based question to qualify interest to discuss further. Do not call to sell to the client, call to understand their needs and how your product or service can meet their needs.
- Accept that you are not the perfect fit for everyone that you call. You might have to get hold of 30 companies to find out that 25 are not the right fit and to identify the five that you need to engage with.
- You need a prospecting formula that works.
- It’s all about activity. Your number one role in sales is to keep the pipeline full with qualified Increase your prospecting activity, increase your sales.
- Ensure you have a solid referral strategy.
- Finally, reset your mindset. Your mindset drives all of the above. If you believe in what you do, if you believe in yourself, your company, your product and your service, you will succeed. If you are more afraid of hearing no than you are of success or if you feel that you are ‘bothering’ people when you prospect, then perhaps sales is not the industry for you.
“Look in the mirror,” says Mark. “Ask yourself, what do I want to achieve? What do I need to earn? How much prospecting do I need to do on a daily basis to achieve my target (my job) and how much more do I need to do to achieve my goal? And then get busy! Make prospecting a non-negotiable part of your day and block time in your diary.”
If you need help with your prospecting skills and tools, check out our sales training program or contact us for a personalised course: www.salesguru.co.za or training@salesguru.co.za
