As a Sandler Trainer and Sales Professional, I often get asked, what is the most effective way to increase revenues and CREATE NEW Opportunities.
Let’s face it, as great as your company is, you will likely lose about 10% of your client base each year. The reason may be a merger or acquisition, they switch to a totally new technology or product, that location is closed. Sales People can’t control these things. Bringing in new business is essential to GROWTH.
As I work with professionals, sales managers and sales people, I tell people they need to work on 4 and 6. You need to do at least 4 different prospecting activities regularly which means Monthly or Weekly. And you need to do 2 more prospecting activities annually to have 6 throughout the year.
I believe each Sales Person has unique strengths, around 1 or 2 prospecting activities, and needs to move “outside their comfort zone” to do and learn more.
Face to Face Prospecting Tops all Others.
Your best selling environment is face to face. This may include:
1. RECONR – client retention, expansion and referral
2. Ask for and receive a Referral from a Client, Strategic Partner, Colleague or Prospect when face to face
3. If appropriate, Trade Show Selling
4. If you’re willing, Public Speaking to your Ideal Client Audience
5. Networking, where your ideal clients will be in attendance
6. If appropriate, Walk-In Cold Calls, not for all markets, but appropriate for local business
Other Options for Sales People to Utilize may include:
1. LinkedIn – research, look for referral opportunities, reach out via LinkedIn Inmail, participate in Q & A in groups
2. Email Prospecting – targeted, researched, specific messaging to your Ideal Client Profile
3. Direct Mail with a Call Behind – yes, SNAIL MAIL is making a come back, our emails are clogged, call prospects after you have sent something UNIQUE and SPECIFIC to them.
4. Telephone – yes, this still works, you need to be persistent as it may take you 8-12 times to actually reach the person, but this still works. Some of my biggest clients have been from this approach.
Prospecting is a specific activity that is Observable,Trackable, Measurable in which the Sales Person can Control the opportunity to Communicate with the prospect.
Happy Selling. To learn more, visit www.wall.sandler.com
