Muscle-Up Your Prospecting
Recently I made the case about why, in an uncertain market, a 4X sales pipeline is a must today for you and your team. Now let’s look at the prerequisite for successfully managing that high-volume pipeline: disciplined prospecting. Just as age-old philosophy reminds us: “Excellence…is not an act, but a habit,” you must treat prospecting like a muscle that you exercise and flex every day.
Here are eight ways you can muscle-up your prospecting right away to make that sales pipeline grow and grow.
1. MAKE THE TIME
The power of the compounding effect comes from the accumulation of small tasks performed daily. The easiest way to make that happen with prospecting is by scheduling that task in your daily work calendar—ideally completing it first thing every morning. Never miss a day. Because what you do not do every day simply doesn’t get done.
2. FOCUS ON DAILY NUMBERS
Your success in meeting your prospecting goals is determined by your performance numbers. But don’t make the mistake of just setting targets on a quarterly basis. Make it a daily number. That’s because it’s much easier to course-correct to address a missed goal on a daily or weekly basis. This is especially important when prospecting to fulfill a 4x pipeline: the stakes are higher…and the opportunities are greater.
3. LOOK FOR THE PATTERNS
Prospecting is never a “spray and pray” proposition. You must plant good seeds in fertile soil. That starts with looking for patterns in your existing client base. Look at their job titles and the departments where they work. Look at whether they spend similar amounts on what you sell. Also, are your customers subject to similar laws or market constraints? The places you find a common pain point is where the money is.
4. BEWARE THE SINGLE POINT
A client of mine in the resource sector has a wise saying: “Your single contact means you’re a single step away from losing the deal.” It’s true. Today, you must ensure you have a minimum of four targets per prospect. It protects you against staffing changes and other unexpected developments. Remember…targeted prospecting has a bullseye that goes layers deep. But you won’t know that unless you go digging.
5. FIND THE LADDERS
Within every prospective client organization, there are ladders that connect you to multiple departments…and multiple pain points. For example: let’s say you are selling a CRM solution to an IT department. Take time to extend your ladder: establish fresh contacts with the groups that will be the end users. Analyze and ask “what else could I offer to my customers here to help solve the pressing needs they have?”
6. IGNORE INVENTED FEARS
Salespeople are strangely prone to the irrational fear of looking greedy for seeking out multiple opportunities at one company. This is a completely made-up fear. Your best customers want to see you succeed. They’ll even help you…but only if you ask.
7. ENGAGE YOUR ABA POWER
ABA stands for Always Be Asking. It’s the number-one way you get more referrals from your customers. It’s not just limited to asking for testimonials. Engage your ABA power to ask for introductions to new contacts within an account, or invite your customer to think about other associates in the market who could also benefit from what you or your team is selling.
8. USE THE OMNI MEDIA APPROACH
Successful prospecting is about covering as much fertile ground as possible in the least amount of time. The best prospectors achieve this by leveraging what I call the omnimedia approach. Don’t make the mistake of narrow-casting your work to a single platform. Broadcast in the true sense of the word: get your message on multiple social media platforms, podcasts, LinkedIn posts and discussion threads. Go to all the places where your customer is most engaged.
THE HIDDEN BENEFIT OF DAILY DISCIPLINE
Muscling-up your prospecting is a surefire way to help you consistently meet the 4x pipeline that is now a must-do activity. But there’s a hidden advantage in there as well. Daily discipline prepares you for the unexpected in any marketplace. It makes you resilient—giving you that much sought-after staying power—while ensuring you consistently achieve the sales success that you want for yourself.