As a salesperson, one of the most important aspects of your job is prospecting. Why? Because without new business prospects, you won’t have new sales opportunities to pursue. A strong sales pipeline is built on a foundation of consistent and effective prospecting. It’s critical to always have an ample number of qualified leads, so you can close deals and hit your targets. In this sales training article, we discuss the importance of new business prospecting, and how it is the beginning of everything when it comes to sales.
Sales gurus always have an average of 150% to 200% of properly qualified sales pipelines. How do they achieve that level of success? Prospecting! Regular and consistent prospecting is crucial for a strong sales pipeline. Without enough qualified leads in your pipeline, you risk missing sales targets, closing fewer deals and facing a drop in revenue. The number of sales engagements you have depends on the number of people you see. The more qualified leads you have, the more sales engagements you can create.
Focus on your target customer
The right kind of prospecting can help build a strong sales pipeline and can lead to significant increases in sales. By identifying the ideal customer profile and pursuing prospects that fit the criteria, you can increase the chances of closing business. The key to successful prospecting is to be laser-focused on your target customer, understand their needs, and pain points, and offer them meaningful solutions. Consistent prospecting will make sure that you have enough new sales opportunities to achieve your sales targets.
It’s common for salespeople to struggle when they aren’t seeing enough people. The reason for this is usually inadequate prospecting efforts. If you aren’t doing enough prospecting, you’re likely to struggle to find new clients and maintain a full sales pipeline. Consistent and disciplined prospecting will enable you to identify new business opportunities that you can use to expand your pipeline and build stronger customer relationships. By paying sufficient attention to prospecting and developing new leads, you’ll quickly recognise the impact it has on sales results.
Consistency is key
When it comes to prospecting, consistency is key. You should have a daily, weekly or monthly plan for prospecting, depending on your sales targets and the size of your pipeline. Devote a specific amount of time each day, week or month to prospecting activities, like cold calling, email campaigns or social selling. By building consistent prospecting habits, you’ll create a regular flow of new sales opportunities to keep your pipeline full and healthy.
In conclusion, new business prospecting is the beginning of everything when it comes to sales. Regular, consistent, and effective prospecting is the foundation upon which sales success is built. By having enough qualified leads in your pipeline, you can close deals, hit your targets, and grow your business.
Reflect on the following questions:
● Are you achieving the sales results you want against your true potential?
● Do you have a strong qualified sales pipeline to achieve your targets at least two months in advance?
● How many new sales opportunities are you adding to your pipeline on a weekly/monthly basis, and is it enough?
● Have you had enough sales meetings and engagements to create new opportunities in the past four weeks?
● Do you have enough new sales meetings and engagements booked for the next two weeks to maintain a full sales pipeline?
● Are you doing enough daily prospecting?
By focusing on these critical questions, you’ll be able to identify any weak spots in your prospecting efforts, fix them, and increase your chances of sales success.
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