Sales Training for the Masses: Prospecting 101

Lets face it, even the best sales professional is completely ineffective without someone to actually sell to. Companies spend billions on marketing each year, from the time we're born till we die, our lives are simply a demographic to bug ad firms. And they are very good at what they do. But what if your company doesn't have the resources to hire a marketing firm to handle their needs? Thats when you need to learn about prospecting, and learn fast.Even if you work for a company with a huge marketing budget, learning how to locate, qualify, and front your own prospects is an invaluable ability that insures that you will never be at the mercy of a given marketing campaign.

So what exactly is prospecting?Usually when I mention prospecting to someone who is new to sales, the first thing they think of is some old 49er with a long beard and a mining pick digging for gold. Thats pretty much a basic description of what we do. You dig through the rocks and rubble (prospects) looking for those nuggets of gold (customers). The main purpose of this Hub is going to be how to get you from digging through prospects to turning those prospects into customers. So let's get started...

If you have worked in any retail sales position, you've probably heard of the three foot rule: "Anyone who comes within three feet gets a greeting". This is an invaluable tool not only in retail settings, but in any type of sales. It will get you used to engaging people, which is one of the biggest problems new sales professionals have.

To be effective at this, you will need to get used to listening to people, not just simply hearing them. Most people love talking about themselves, so ask the questions. Now I'm not saying you should play the role of a police interrogator, but you should ask them non personal, but specific questions. What does that mean? Simple, a question like, "where do you work" may come off as intrusive and a little creepy to some people, however "what line of work are you in" is a much more non-invasive question that most people won't have a problem answering. Remember to tailor the questions to your given industry. If I sell clothes in a department store, there really is no need to find out where a prospect lives, however I could ask what type of work he's in in order to get an idea of what products they may be interested in.

Carry Business cards with you everywhere you go.

If your company doesn't provide them, then print your own. Business cards are an invaluable resource to have with you in any given prospecting situation. Not only are they something physical that will keep your name in front of the prospect longer, but they are also great tools for gathering phone numbers, email addresses, and other contact data. Always carry 15-20 business cards on you at all times, and don't be afraid to give them out, thats what they're for.

I recently bought a new pair of weight lifting gloves from my local superstore, when I got home and opened the package I found a business card for a new yoga/pilates studio that someone had slipped into the package. Now while I had no interest in taking classes, about a week later, my sisters gym discontinued their yoga class. Long story short, she not only went to the school on the card, but she also brought along most of the people who took the class with her at her gym. Business cards work, use them!

Practice Makes Perfect!

Prospecting is a skill, and just like any other skill the more you do it, the better you get at it. Set aside a certain amount of time each week (1-3 hours in the beginning) to go out and just prospect. Walk through a local mall, market, superstore, restaurant, (classy) bar, anyplace that people gather. While you're waiting in line at the movies, or getting your car fixed. Get used to constantly prospecting. It will be difficult in the beginning, but the more you do it, the easier it will be.

Please remember to respect others and other businesses, as failure to do so can cost you business you never knew you would have gotten. For example, if you sell widgets for company A, don't go into one of company B's stores and start prospecting their customers. Besides being unethical, in some cases it could lead to you being banned from the store. Keep it clean, there are plenty of places to find prospects, you wont need to attack your competitors.

Get Started!

Now that we have covered the basics of prospecting, you should be able to go out and get started. Remember, never prejudge anyone! Race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation should never factor into your prospecting. The only superficial factor that should matter is age in age restricted industries (alcohol, tobacco, adult entertainment, etc.). Other than that, everyone is fair game! 

So get out there and start prospecting, and don't forget to check back here for updates and new content!