Do’s and Don'ts of Sales Prospecting

Do’s and Don'ts of Sales Prospecting

Enhancing the effectiveness of the sales team and optimizing sales activities to achieve business objectives in terms of revenue is a core component of any organization’s sales prospecting plan. To attain these objectives, it is essential to create a robust and scalable sales prospecting strategy. However, some organizations fail to understand what should be done and should not be to create a perfect sales prospecting plan. Here we are with a few do’s and don’ts of sales prospecting that can help in re-framing and re-gaming the sales prospecting attitudes and actions:

Do’s:

Rigorous Follow-up: Follow-up is a key to success in sales prospecting. However while following-up you should make sure that you have a follow-plan in hand. Studies show that most people don’t respond to the first 2-3 emails with a stranger and in some cases, it can be as many as 5 times also. In such scenarios plan your follow-up in a manner that is spaced out 2-4 days. If you’re doing any less than this, then there are might chance you lose an opportunity.

Schedule your sales call: Planning a sales call involves majorly the time you call the prospect. It is always better to call the prospect and ask for a convenient time when he or she is available. An effective approach is to say something like “I’m sure you are busy at the moment, when do you have 10 minutes to go over your ABC strategy and how my organization may be able to improve your results?”

Be an Active Listener: Another key to effective sales prospecting lies in active listening skills. Sales executives need to be an active listener while driving towards their own goals, striking a balance between empathy and focus. If sales executives appear more concerned about achieving their goals than about what the prospect has to say, sales executives come across as pushy and unattractive. So, a sales executive must focus on the prospect’s interests and the situation at the tune of the call. This approach goes a long way towards establishing a good rapport with the prospect.

Don’ts:

Don’t focus on the results: Prospecting activity is loaded with numerous rejections caused by things outside of our control. What you can focus on and control is the behavior. Don’t get demoralized if you fail to get in touch with a prospect in the first two interactions. Keep the spirit up and stay positive.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: Don’t rely on just one or two channels. Simply relying on social media channels or on traditional marketing channels won’t help. You must use all sorts of channels for wider and better sales prospecting.

Don’t sound like everyone else: Most of the sales executives when they finally get the prospect on the call fail to differentiate or make a first impression to continue the sales pitch. They end up asking manipulative questions like, “Do you wish to improve the productivity of your business?” Be clear that questions like this will not get you anywhere except off the call in no time.

Don’t send a full sales pitch:  Once you connected with the prospect on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook; don’t send them your full sales pitch immediately. Seek permission from the prospect to give your sales pitch. So, please don’t bombard your prospects with full sales pitch just after you connect with them.