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Are You Prospecting Enough? Part 1

My friend and former co-worker, Johnny Fryar, once said that 90% of the job in sales was finding someone to talk to. That pretty much sums it up. When I'm speaking I tell groups that selling is the actual face-to-face meeting when we discuss features, pricing, etc, but "sales" is the foreplay that precedes it.

An old manager of mine used to say, "Between 10am and 4pm you need to be seeing clients or fighting to see clients." Forceful words for a man who was counting the days til his retirement, but nonetheless, absolutely true.

What are you doing to find someone to talk to? Are you fighting to find clients? Are you looking under every rock, attending networking events, making phone calls and telling everyone you meet your story?

Prospecting needs a holistic approach. Think of it as business buckshot. Sure it's great when you go to a chamber of commerce after hours event and you get some business cards, but your cards need to have your website printed on them. And if your new prospect sees that website, it should see a few testimonials. Let the prospect know you are the real deal.

Holistically speaking, you (and your message) should be ubiquitous. A website, a landing page, social media, and even a sign magnet on your car should all be in the mix. Don't be worried that someone will see your name or product and not be interested. Just like dating, there are plenty of fish in the sea, and one of those fish will be the right candidate for you and open their wallet.

The key is to look at everyone you meet as a prospect. But only for a few seconds, maybe a minute. If you try to sell everyone you meet, you'll come off as an annoying pest. But if you find someone to talk to, and in the span of a couple of minutes you realize that they aren't who you are looking for in a good prospect (or they may decide that you have nothing to offer them), that's fine. Part as friends. But keep looking.

A good example of this was a few years back when I met with a fellow and his business partner . They a nice office, where they had opened an internet service. Everything looked great, and they even had a very professional receptionist, so I'm thinking to myself that these guys are on the ball. Unfortunately, they were just starting out and had no cashflow, so I made the decision to check in a few months later.

The situation had changed by the time I met the guy in a restaurant for lunch. In the span of a few minutes he told me that the business went under quickly, and he lost a lot of money. Then his wife left him and he was up to his ears in debt, owing divorce lawyers money. On top of it all, any money he made was going to be earmarked for alimony and child support. I suffered through the rest of the meal (I treated) as he bemoaned his financial woes while drinking beer I was paying for.



In my industry, we look to "qualify" the prospect. In other words, there are certain things I want in a prospect. Income is a big one. As I've stated in the past, if someone is sitting at home watching TV at 3pm, they probably don't have a job, thus keeping them from being able to pay for my products or service. In the above example, I should have taken the time to "requalify" the prospect.

My father had an expression when it came to dating. "You can cull crops, but don't cull people." (For those who are unfamiliar with agriculture, "culling" is tossing the bad crops out and selecting the good crops) You'll learn to cull or qualify your prospects with experience, so if you're new to this part, keep an open mind. The person you may disregard initially may be the perfect prospect for you. As they say, don't judge a book by it's cover.

Prospecting is nothing more than keeping your eyes open and your ear to the ground. Stay connected to those around you and listen for cues. You may get your next good client that way.

Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states

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