According to the definition, prospecting is defined as the activity of searching for potential customers. Prospecting is one of the most important tasks in sales. And it’s usually performed by salespeople who visit people or businesses to find out about their needs and what they can do for them. In addition, a salesperson must also identify prospects’ buying criteria and target markets.
Sales prospecting techniques are the methods that you use to identify and contact potential customers. Prospecting can be done through cold calling, sending out email campaigns, or even social media marketing.
There are a few things that you should keep in mind when prospecting:
1. Always be prepared to answer any questions that your potential customer may have.
2. Make sure that your pitch is tailored to the individual and not just a generic sales message.
3. Be persistent in contacting your target market, and never give up on a prospect.
4. always keep track of your progress by keeping track of your sales leads and tracking which ones convert into paying customers.
5. Memorise the names and business cards of your buyers.
You should always talk to at least 100 different potential customers per month, even if you’re just interviewing them for five minutes.
Don’t know who they are? That doesn't matter! Instead, interview everyone that you think has the ability to decide on what product or service your company is offering. If a buyer doesn't buy, he will simply forget about it immediately .
What way do you go about researching your potential customer's needs, then add what the buyer is looking for so that when you find them in person or through email marketing software be more likely to receive a positive response. When he/she says no, influence them into seeing if they can make changes and then reconsider their ideas with proven sales prospecting techniques.
A sales prospecting technique is something that the salesperson does to get leads. Prospecting techniques can include email marketing for lead generation, online media and websites as well as cold calling and phone calls.
Next step would be to present your product or service from a different perspective using new advantages also called competitive positioning. Instead of being “just another competitor” you should become an original solution provider by presenting with added value for them simply because there are many other companies that are doing the same as you.
Also offer quality from scratch, not imports or cheap knockoffs with low priced inferior products to get “intense competitor emotions”.
Next step would be to present your product or service from a different perspective using new advantages also called competitive positioning. Instead of being "just another competitor" you should become an original solution provider by presenting with added value for them simply because there are many other companies that are doing the same as you.
Also offer quality from scratch, not imports or cheap knockoffs with low priced inferior products to get "intense competitor emotions".
Then ask them if they feel your product deserves higher visibility in which case next option would be to send out lots of advertising through various media outlets such as television, radio and Internet marketing so for example buy pre-roll ads on TV commercials about a certain product online videos, even create viral commercials in which on YouTube will be millions of views.
Lastly is to allow yourself to get a geographic proximity so that they would make their mind easier by having the location more noticeable with signage and banners along passerby, advertising t-shirts just like everywhere else you see large billboards , stop lights or public transport stops.
1. Cold Calling
Cold calling is a technique that involves making contact with potential customers by telephone. It can be done using automated dialing systems or live agents.
The benefits of cold calling are that it can be very effective in generating leads and sales. However, it is important to remember that not all prospects are willing to buy from you on the first call. You need to build a relationship with your customers before selling them anything.
2. Prospecting Via Email
Email prospecting is a great way to reach out to potential customers who may be interested in your products or services. You can send out automated emails or cold email campaigns where you personalize the message for each individual recipient.
The benefits of email prospecting are that it is highly efficient in reaching a large number of people, it allows you to track the results of your campaigns, and it can be very cost-effective when compared to other marketing methods.
3. Networking Events
Networking events are great ways to meet new people and expand your network of business contacts. They can also provide you with valuable information about new opportunities that may be available for you.
The benefits of networking events are that they allow you to make connections with people who have similar interests, they help you build relationships with key decision makers, and they provide you with the opportunity to learn more about new technologies and market trends.
4.Direct Marketing
Direct marketing is another form of advertising that reaches out to consumers and presents you with the opportunity to make a sale. Often, direct marketers use banner advertisements, email blasts or postcards in their sales pitches.
Advertising Directories are also a commonly used tool for reaching potential customers through phone calls and letters appealing for business enquiries; however it comes at an added cost as opposed to using other forms of marketing methods.
5.Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is a form of advertising where you create a website, blog or an online presence whereby you share and post relevant content on your various social networks which may include Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. This type of internet activity usually takes place through the use of applications such as blogs.
Social networking can be used to help grow your brand awareness so that potential customers would want to purchase from earlier mentioned channels instead if they were not familiar with you.
6.LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an online professional network that was founded in 2002. As of today, over 700 million active users regularly visit the site and more than 500 million unique visitors use the social networking platform every month with a user pool made out of 25% professionals across all industries.
This form of advertising involves sending advertisements to job seekers on Linkedin for various jobs as well as sharing your own employer's brand awareness via referral programs within their Companies use Linkedin either for gaining an advantage in the job market by being highly active on the site and having LinkedIn connections, or to extend internal communication horizontally.
7.Private Identification
More commonly known as "Confidentiality"? This is a form of marketing which enables companies to restrict access to markets so that consumers without such interest will still be able to obtain information about your product via private clients but have no idea what it might mean to have an advertisement placed online in their social media profiles.
8.Publicity
More commonly known as "Media Planning":- firms contract news sources, gatekeepers and influencers for advertising campaigns The most effective forms of publicity are produced by agents who can funnel and combine resources on behalf of their client: find out more about how Yandex works with Content partners.
It's important to have a plan in place before you start prospecting. We've broken down the 8 tried and tested sales prospecting techniques that we think are best for you. Which ones do you think will work best for your business?
