Let’s cut to the chase, prospecting probably isn’t on your list of favorite things to do. But it is a very important part of sales. It’s common for distributors to put it off – because there are so many important tasks to get done. Yet just like all the other phases of the sales process, prospecting requires focus and effort.
In addition to your concentration and energy, employing effective practices that actually fetch more well-qualified leads keeps you from wasting your valuable time and might just make you a little more partial to prospecting. Hey, if it works, it’s more fun to do, right? The following fresh sales prospecting tactics can help you find better leads and convert them to customers more often. Take advantage of these action-oriented methods that offer short-term and long-term planning tools for better engagement that eventually lead to customer conversions.
Make prospecting a priority
Start by reimagining your workday and dedicate at least two hours per day to your future success. Research shows 82% of top-performing salespeople spend four hours or more a day on selling. By prioritizing your time this way and blocking off 2-hour increments, you’re making an investment in you that will pay off big time. Once you’ve allocated time each day, commit to performing one of the seven actions below to turn into a lead-generating powerhouse. These can be done in an order that feels best to you, and remember, shoot for progress, not perfection.
Day 1 – Create your current customer profile
Start easy by pulling together a list of your top five customers and your top five most profitable customers. Creating an ideal customer profile negates the chances of wasting your time and efforts chasing unproductive leads. Use your customer profile to start building your ideal prospecting list. For example, if one of your top clients is in the banking industry and your contact is the Branch Manager, Google “banks in my area”. Jot down those search results. Then go to LinkedIn and search “Branch Manager” in your area and start searching for those specific banks. When you find that International Bank’s Branch Manager in your city is listed right there, add her to your prospecting list….and continue this process. Identifying 50-100 people for this list is a great start that will last you a couple of months.
Your prospecting list is probably one of the most important assets within your outreach. You’ll be sending great content soon; you need to make sure you’re targeting the right audience. LinkedIn is a first choice for top sellers to build a highly targeted B2B prospect list. The customizable search feature allows for plenty of filters to narrow down your search and find the most qualified prospects.
Day 2 – Assess your social pages & website
Take an honest look at your website and your social profiles. When was the last time you really gave each a much-needed update? Freshening your pages might not seem like a big deal, but don’t underestimate the importance of making updates in terms of looks, functionality, and content. With the majority of your potential customers spending more and more time online, regular and well-executed renovations can help your business grow. Set three priorities for the short term and three priorities for the long term. Check out some pro-tips in our Reaching New Audiences webinar on how you can start updating your website so it can be used as a selling tool.
Day 3 – Make three updates to your short-term list
Social media is one of the most important aspects of digital marketing, making it incredibly easy to spread the word about your products and service
s. Starting there is an easy and stress-free way to increase your business visibility fast. Your top priority can be maximizing your profile with a great (and current) profile picture and an i
mpactful cover photo. Consider free image sites like pexels for stunning cover photos. Add a call to action in your profiles that pushes traffic to your website, blog or newsletter and prompts more engagement, like “Follow”, “Discover More” or “Sign Up”. Your “About You” section should be engaging and creative, conveying your value proposition and the benefits of working with you.
Day 4 – Create three prospecting emails
B2B buyers check their email multiple times a day. As marketers, we can’t ignore the importance of a strong email marketing strategy.
Make sure you are using your company email address to add legitimacy to your pitch. Avoiding Gmail, Hotmail or AOL email addresses will keep your emails from automatically landing in junk mail folders. Including a great subject line and concise but personalized content will get and keep a reader’s attention. Communicate like a real person and show the benefits of your offering. And don’t forget a strong call to action. Check out sample subject lines, opening statements and email content ideas here.
Day 5 – Create three social posts for the next week
We hear a lot of distributors questioning the value of social media. And yes, social media can be frustrating because you can’t tie it directly to sales. But social drives awareness. Awareness leads to conversion. Some of the benefits of social media are:
- Brand recognition
- Increased website traffic
- Enhanced SEO rankings
- Marketplace awareness
Start by focusing your attention on one platform. We suggest LinkedIn because customers will often look for you there. Dedicating some time to this arguably most cost-effective marketing channel will improve brand awareness while you ramp up engagement and interaction. The most ideal times to post, along with the best types of content for LinkedIn, and what makes the perfect Facebook post can be found here.
Day 6 – Tackle your top three long-term priorities
Most of us fill our days with managing the endless tiny details without taking time to regularly step back and look at the bigger picture. Turning long-term goals into reality takes a clear, actionable plan. Some top priorities from distributors are: adding eCommerce to their website, adding more products to their website, and updating the look of their website.
For today, list your three long-term priorities, and when you’re going to start. Don’t worry about all the details today, just set your start dates for each one over the next 12 months. Book that in your calendar and that will be when you start to dedicate more time to these larger priorities. Schedule when and how long you’ll work toward your long-term goals.
Day 7 – Get three meetings
It takes on average 5-8 touches to land a meeting. A practical goal for today could be 20 emails, four phone conversations, and three scheduled meetings. Studies found 82% of buyers accept meetings with salespeople who reach out to them. Who knew? Use LinkedIn to find people in your network that are connected with your prospects. Some of your 20 emails that you’re sending today could be to current customers for referrals.
Phone calls help build that personal relationship more quickly than other methods of contact. We’ve compiled some stats, tips, and stellar phone prospecting best practices here.
In conclusion
The most valuable part of prospecting is your own time. And the math is simple:
More prospects = more chances to close a sale
Instead of saying “How can I prioritize prospecting?”, we challenge you to say “I am prioritizing the future of my company.” Every day is your chance to recommit to your future. We’re here to help walk you through your 7 Days to Successful Prospecting. With our support and innovations, you’ll be well on your way to finding better leads and converting more prospects into customers.
I just wanted to say, THIS is an impressive article. I would love to hire the person who wrote this article so they can implement ALL OF THIS in my business. What a GREAT article.
Prospecting is important, as you’ve said, but it can be very challenging without the right strategy in place. This is a good list of tips that should help those excel in this particular line of work.