As sales professionals, we love knowing that there’s no limit on our income opportunities. How wonderful is that, right? This limitless opportunity is what makes sales such a fantastic and rewarding career. But in order to unlock those opportunities, we have to give consistent time and love to the art of prospecting. This is why I want to share sales prospecting tips with you.
If you’re new to sales, you might be wondering: ‘What is prospecting exactly?’. It’s when you set out to contact people who need what you are selling. You research where they are and then contact them, on the phone or in person. You introduce yourself and your product and determine their level of interest. Sometimes you get the thrill of making a sale on the spot. More often, you promise to follow up. And you always keep your promise! The more often you do this, the more opportunities you have to turn your prospect into a satisfied customer.
Sales Prospecting Tips For Success
The first tip to successful prospecting is consistency.
Build time on your calendar each week. Focus on the activities that will bring you the success you really want.
You can’t just stop with just one prospecting call. You have to call and then mark a day to follow up. And then actually remember to make that follow-up call just like you promised. If you don’t close the sale on your first contact, you have to follow up again. Keep building rapport…be of service. Show up when you promised, be true to your word, and one day the sale will be yours.
The second tip to successful prospecting is volume.
You have to make enough prospecting calls to keep your pipeline full. A client saying “yes” or “no” should not determine whether you meet your own expenses that month. Creating volume is the only way to create consistency in your income. If one prospect doesn’t pan out, another is about to come through.
The third of my sales prospecting tips is to know your own closing ratio.
What percentage of your prospecting calls end in a sale? The more sales you close, the fewer calls you need in order to reach your quota. We’ll talk more about quotas in a minute. The more calls you close, the more calls you have time to make. So, the higher your return can be!
These three keys to successful prospecting work together, like a simple math equation.
You have to understand the metrics, and with a little practice, you will. You’ll be able to estimate exactly where you are each week. You’ll know what you need to do so you can meet your goals and really enjoy your work.
Outperform Your Quotas–Go For Your Goals!
Please notice I said “meet your goals,” not “hit your quota.” No matter what company you’re with, you’ll always have a quota. A certain number of sales to hit in order to stay in good standing with the company.
But for us who love sales, quotas are a bare minimum. That’s the floor, not the ceiling! Our goals are a whole different category. Our goals are the BIG dreams. The TOP numbers we can motivate ourselves to achieve. We set our goals for ourselves, and they should always be moving upward. Every day that we improve our skills, I believe we should raise our goals.
Your mentor or team leader will be glad to talk with you about goal-setting. This is a topic that is dear to each of us. For me, it’s one of the greatest things about a year in sales. I can look back and see that I hit the goals I set for myself. As for my quotas, I blew them out of the water!
Prospecting With Joy
Why do we go into sales? Sure, we want to support ourselves and our families. We want to make a great income. But underneath all that, we enjoy sales because we love people. We love to meet them, learn about them, and add some satisfaction to their lives.
So, with a little practice, prospecting can become a joy to you. This is your chance to become a top performer in your sales organization. It’s your chance to go in and create the big wins, to build your income and reputation. If you can dominate prospecting, it’s your number one chance to find joy, excitement, and success in your business.
And before I forget, take a few minutes to check out more helpful tips on our YouTube playlist.
