Salespeople prospect to generate new leads and find customers. When done properly, prospecting can create interest in your product or service and form a foundation of trust between a prospect and a business. In sales it’s imperative to know the importance of prospecting to maximise success for your business.
We will explore what prospecting is and why it is important. We will also discuss the difference between prospecting and selling, and some useful prospecting tips you can use to secure leads.
What is prospecting and why it is important?
Prospecting is the initial phase of the sales process. Sales reps can use an array of methods to find potential clients or customers who are interested in buying their product or service.
Some widely-used prospecting strategies include:
- Cold calling
- Social Media
- Email marketing
- Text messages
- Letter drops
Prospecting not only brings in new clients, but also allows businesses to spark interest amongst leads that may have previously enquired, but haven’t led to a sale.
The importance of prospecting:
- Helps spread information
- Generates interest
- Establishes trust
- Advertising for your brand
Prospecting vs. Selling
Selling and prospecting are equally important when it comes to the customer relationship. Prospecting is the first contact a company has with a customer. On the other hand, selling involves interaction with clients to pitch products or services and close deals.
Selling involves:
- Research
- Personalisation
- Communication
- Objection handling
- In-depth knowledge of the product or service
3 Key Prospecting Tips
Networking: Networking helps people meet others that they typically wouldn’t have met. Sales professionals often use networking, whether in person or online, to generate interest when prospecting.
Power Hour: The KONA Sales Power Hour is a focused and intensive period of time, during which your sales teams dedicate themselves to “hitting the phones” and put their sales skills to the test. The Power Hour teaches your sales team the disciplines and skills to turn calls into sales and hot prospects.
Email Campaigns: Salespeople often use prospecting databases and contact lists to send emails to prospective clients, focusing on advertising a specific product or service.
How to generate more leads
1. Create buyer personas
A buyer persona is a detailed description of someone who represents your target audience. Creating a buyer persona requires collecting data and documenting trends and needs. Developing buyer personas will allow you to better understand who your target audience is, leading to stronger client relationships.
2. Tailor your approach to client needs and pain points
Every customer’s needs are different, and their reason for seeking your product or service will vary. However, after creating buyer personas, you may start to notice some trends. You can use this information to customise your approach.
To tell every prospect about every product or service you offer can be overwhelming. By tailoring your presentation to their needs, you are saving everyone time and making the customer feel understood.
3. Personalise communication
Using people’s names or company name is a simple gesture that helps to form a connection between yourself and your prospect.
You can use information from client profiles or previous conversations to personalise your proposal.
4. Utilise Social Media
Social media can be used to your advantage to expand your professional network and spread information to hundreds of people. Researching social media metrics is likely to improve your reach and spark up conversations. Monitoring social media metrics can help you to gauge how well you are accomplishing your goals and where you may need to modify your campaign.
5. Follow up
Follow up is an important part of the prospecting process. If you tell a prospective customer that you plan on following up with them, then you must do so. You can do this through means such as:
- Phone call
- Text
This will help to build trust, which is important for all professional relationships.
Why use KONA for your training requirements?
We offer diverse experiences and skill sets, allowing us to match the right trainer, coach, mentor or support person to your needs.
We have real-world experience in the trenches. We truly get you, and we’ve got your back.
Would you like to find out more about how KONA can help your Sales Team reach their full potential?
Call 1300 611 288 today, or Email info@kona.com.au
