| Sales is a contact sport and prospecting for new | | | | sounds smooth and natural. Set aside time to |
| business is the name of the game! You will never | | | | role-play with an associate over the phone. By taking |
| meet a salesperson that failed because they had too | | | | turns presenting and critiquing you will gain |
| many prospects to talk to. For the majority of | | | | confidence, polish your script and be more effective. |
| salespeople, finding new customers is without a | | | | When prospecting, avoid the temptation to sell over |
| doubt the most difficult and stressful aspect of the | | | | the phone. Your objective is to gather information |
| profession. Prospecting should be viewed more as a | | | | and make the appointment. |
| mindset rather than merely as an activity. It is | | | | 4. Strike while the iron is hot! When working with a |
| something you need to be constantly aware of | | | | new prospect, it is important to make contact |
| because you never know where your next prospect | | | | quickly. Prospects are perishable. No matter how |
| will be coming from. It really doesn't matter how | | | | interested a prospect may appear, don't wait for |
| competent you are or how well you know your | | | | them to call you. You are only one of many |
| product line, if you don't have a qualified prospect in | | | | competing interests for your prospect's time and |
| front of you, you don't have a sale. | | | | money. |
| 1. Prospecting for new business is similar to working | | | | 5. Keep the high ground and avoid the temptation to |
| out. You know it is good for you and it will produce | | | | badmouth your competition. While it is fair to make |
| positive results if you do it routinely. Professional | | | | head-to-head comparisons, you should avoid personal |
| salespeople prospect daily. It is important to block-off | | | | attacks. Attacking your competition makes you look |
| specific time on your calendar for prospecting | | | | unprofessional and petty. Emphasize the benefits of |
| activities such as phone calling and emailing. Treat | | | | your product or service by guiding your prospect |
| your prospecting time with the same respect as you | | | | through a comparison of quality and price. Play to |
| would any other important appointment, otherwise, | | | | your strengths and not the weakness of your |
| there is a tendency that it will slip through the cracks. | | | | competition. Let your prospect draw their own |
| This is not the time to check your emails, play | | | | conclusions from a well-presented comparison. |
| solitaire on the computer, make a personal phone call | | | | 6. Rejection is a natural aspect of the sales process |
| or chat with your associates. Stay focused and take | | | | so don't take it personally. Learn from rejection, use |
| your prospecting seriously. Set the tone by closing | | | | it as a feedback mechanism and look for ways to |
| your office door and have your incoming calls held | | | | improve your presentation. Salespeople who take |
| unless it is a call from a client or a prospect. | | | | rejection personally lack perseverance and seldom |
| 2. Be prepared, get organized and take good notes. | | | | make the sale. Sales is a numbers game pure and |
| It is critical to have a computerized contact system | | | | simple. As a professional baseball player, if you can |
| to record remarks and suspense future contacts or | | | | average four hits out of ten times at bat you are |
| appointments. | | | | heading for the Hall of Fame. Research indicates that |
| 3. Use a script - don't shoot from the hip. There is | | | | in sales you can expect your prospect to say no five |
| only one thing worse than listening to a salesperson | | | | times before they buy. With this in mind, realize that |
| read a script over the phone and that is to listen to a | | | | with every sales rejection you receive, you are one |
| salesperson without a script. Obviously, it is important | | | | step closer to making the sale! |
| to not only have a script but to practice it until it | | | | |