Keeping Your Pipeline Full

One of the biggest hurdles I've faced in my career has been finding prospects, moving them through the sales process, and turning them into clients, all while constantly being on the hunt for more prospects. It's an endless cycle.

(In my industry, it can be even harder to sell something when people ultimately don't want to buy. If your client is a young couple with kids and a mortgage, do you think they would rather spend money on a vacation or a life insurance policy?)

Having a good referral system and making networking effective are the best ways to start the process of keeping the pipeline full. Having a center of influence or creating a friendly relationship through networking can save a lot of time and be much less expensive than buying leads.

One of the most effective things you can accomplish is to establish a "referral network". This may take some time to get going but if you can find four or five good sources who are willing refer to each other, you can spend less time prospecting and more time servicing your book of business.

Pre-Covid, myself and three others would have lunch every week or so and just talk about our work. I sold insurance, one lady was an accountant, one was an attorney and another gentleman worked in the senior care industry. We all had something in common in that we worked with seniors in some capacity. This made our conversations very interesting. Even if I didn't get a referral immediately, I was learning about how taxes or estate planning could affect my own clients.

Making sure your pipeline has a steady stream of prospects can make life much less stressful when the lulls in your schedule happen, and they will. And if you are taking some time from work, knowing that your calendar is filled when you return will also keep your spirits high.

Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. 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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