prospecting program techniques

Tried and True Prospecting Program Techniques

Bylori

When new techniques for customer acquisition emerge, it’s tempting to give them a try. Some may be useful, but if they don’t work for your company, you’ll end up wasting substantial amounts of time and effort for little return. The best way to ensure successful prospecting program results, devote a major portion of your prospecting to tried-and-true methods that have been proven successful again and again.

  • Work your database: Your database of prospects can be one of your company’s most valuable nontangible assets. Keep your prospect database updated and filled with as much information on your prospects as you can acquire. Use these databases to their best advantage by analyzing data on your prospects, searching for problems of pain points that could be addressed, noting changes that could trigger a sales call, and tracking contacts and results. Prospecting and converting can be long-term processes, and the more you know about your prospects, the more successful you’ll be.
  • Target your prospects: Use your database to segment your prospect lists into highly targeted groups that are most likely to need your products and services. Alternatively, use a list provider to produce a similarly well-screened and targeted list. Focus on a small group of a few hundred names at a time.
  • Get reacquainted with your existing customers: Familiarize yourself with your existing customers again, as though they were new prospects. Contact your current customers from this fresh perspective and see what you can do to help them. Your familiarity with their problems and existing relationship will help speed the process toward a new sale.
  • Be persistent but not annoying: They say it takes at least 12 impressions before someone will buy from you. Reach out in different ways to your prospects, enough so that they remember you, but are less likely to be annoyed. If calling, present a short offer (around 50 words) that states clearly who you are and what you’re selling. If the prospect says no, don’t push any further. Your prospect will appreciate your brevity and you’ll have more time to improve your overall calling efficiency.

Would your prospecting program results be improved by using some of the traditional, proven-successful prospecting techniques?

Image via Shutterstock.com