A weekly note from our President, Adam Kaplan
Prospecting is a skill, not a talent you're born with. Here's what I've learned about doing it well.
1. Know what you're selling
Before you contact anybody, you need to be able to answer three questions: what is it, who buys it, and why do they care? If you cannot answer these three questions, you are not ready.
Think about it like this: Rolex convinces their customers to sit on a waitlist for years to buy their watches. They know exactly what they are selling, and it is not just the ability to tell time.
2. Get comfortable with rejection
Once you understand what you are selling, it is time to pick up the phone or type up an email. Prospecting is about volume, and you will quickly learn how many people say no. Some customers will reject you quickly; most won't respond to your emails or calls. But rejection is redirection.
Yes, I know that sounds corny, but if you do not give up, you will eventually get someone to say yes to your product or service. Those first couple of yeses are gold, because they teach you who to target and what they actually value.
3. Follow up, follow up, follow up
After you have made contact, follow up with your prospects. This was one of the hardest things for me to learn. Most of us don't want to be perceived as annoying. Good prospecting requires multiple follow-ups before you finally get your foot in the door.
4. Beat decision fatigue
Your prospects have options, and at some point every product or service starts to look the same. This is where building a relationship matters. Sometimes you aren't selling them a product or service — you are simply selling yourself.
Are you someone they can trust? The best salespeople I know built their book of business by being that person. Of course, what they sell matters too, but customers pay them because they trust them.
So if you are new or in a slump, remember: it takes time to build a good book of business. Be the person your clients can rely on. If you made it this far — keep going, it's worth it.
Adam