Sales Blog for Sales and Sales Management

As is stated in the 'good' book', 'there is nothing new under the sun', and that includes prospecting.  I was cruising through some of the blogs I monitor and came across this article: OK, Salespeople Can't Find Enough Prospects. Now What?, and I'm thinking, wow everyone must have this problem.  I know our sales people are telling me that they do. Our clients are telling me that they have a problem finding new prospects and sales are down.  But then I got to thinking:  Finding prospects now that is a problem. Problem is is that it has always been a problem. No let me take that back. It has always been a challenge.

Let me reference Jack Horan. I don't know if Jack is still alive. But I did meet him in 1989 at a dinner honoring him and his service to the insurance industry here in Cincinnati. He had been in the local association. I found myself alone with him and so I asked, "Jack, what is the biggest challenge you face today after 30 years in the business?" his reply - finding prospects.

This is new, the challenges associated with finding prospects a result of our economic times, that's new but prospecting problems aren't new.

Here is a question for you. How many of your clients have 100% of the market? None right? OK so let's just make sure that we teach our charges to go get the ones that are being sold and serviced by our competitors.  If you only have 3% of market share and there are 10,000 suspects in the market well then not having prospects isn't a matter of people not buying your product or service.  The problem is is that they aren't buying it from you and there you sit at your desk waiting for the phone to ring and blaming the tough economy. So what, people don't want to talk to you.  This economy isn't about people wanting to talk or not talk it's about people and companies wanting the best solutions for: 

• Making more money
• Keeping more of the money they have
• Getting access to money
• Becoming more productive
• Doing more with less
• Doing better with what they have
• Continued growth
• Finding people that can sell in a tough economy

Regardless of the product or service you buy chances are there is somethign you can do for people that will help them solve one of those problems. Just for fun visit Guy Kawasaki'sblog and check out the post with all the pictures of stores with 'sales signs'.  What does the bottome picture tell you?

All you need to do is to call people and tell them you are looking to help people that want to make more money, keep more of what they have or get access to more money. Once you tell them that ask them if they are one of those people.  If they say yes, good, go to the next step in your prospect process.  If they say, no, good, thank them for their time and make the next call. Whatever you do don't let this great economy of our get in the way of you selling