7 Steps to Successful Prospecting

June 3, 2009 | Filed Under Internet Marketing

by Kenrick Chatman

Prospecting is one of the most difficult stages of the sales process. It’s also one of the most, if not the most, important parts of selling. You can be the best closer in the world but you will not generate sufficient sales if you lack qualified prospects. Since selling is ultimately a numbers game, more qualified prospects in your pipeline will result in more opportunities to present and generate new business. Below is a 7-step approach to successful prospecting.

1. Determine Your Niche Market: locate a niche where your product offerings will successfully fulfill your prospects’ needs or problems. To gain the trust of your potential customers, you should become an expert in your target market.

2. Locate Your Potential Customers: create a directory of potential customers located in your marketplace. Potential sources you could utilize are the Internet, lead lists, library resources, and personal contacts.

3. Screen Your Potential Prospects: qualify your potential customers based on having the authority to make a purchase decision, a need for your product offering, and sufficient financial resources. During the first contact, you may have to fully screen prospects.

4. Create a Script: prepare a prospecting script to remain consistent and focused as you briefly emphasize the value you can provide by meeting your potential customers’ needs. Include answers to common rebuttals or objections you expect to confront.

5. Determine Initial Contact Preference: decide whether to utilize mail, personal connections, and/or referrals to transform your initial contact with potential customers from “cold” to “warm”.

6. Make Contact with Your Prospects: contact your prospects and use your prospecting script to ask for the sale or generate a meeting to present your product offering.

7. Develop and Execute Your Plan: create daily, weekly, and monthly prospecting aspirations and dedicate time to achieve these goals to ensure you maintain a healthy pipeline filled with qualified prospects.

You will create a solid foundation to an exciting, rewarding, and lucrative sales career by following the 7 steps to prospecting success.

About the Author:

Kenrick Chatman is a sales and margin growth authority who writes articles on selling and various industries. Feel free to gather more selling tips by visiting his selling blog. Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.

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