Sales prospecting is the number one step in all sales campaign process. Indeed without any prospect, SDR and BDR won’t be able to sell anything. That’s why having a great sales prospecting basis is critical for the success of any sales campaign. Sales prospecting is not an easy work but it is indispensable and most of sales persons do not realize it correctly. Indeed an intense sales prospection can increase easily the efficiency of sales campaign by targeting the right person,

1. Targeting

Define your targeted audience and buyer persona. Identify who is your ideal customer, what are its main characteristics and why he wants what you offer.

Some important characteristics:

Job title

Company size

Industry

Location

2. Generate leads

Choose your data sources:

Social profiles

Search

Data bases

Load contact data into your CRM

The strength of your sales campaign is highly determined by the quality and precision of your contacts. Reach high to the decision makers, be sure your list is up to date and clean to avoid losing time. Build your database using prospecting tools that give you the opportunity to get high quality contacts in a super short period of time.

3. Set up a strict methodology

Show on your CRM or excel file the different maturity step of your prospect toward a real buyer (close deal). Define when and how many times you should follow up, set up clearly the next meetings, etc.

Build your pitch

When building your prospecting pitch, think about the value they will get from you, how you will save their time or grow their business. Emphasize the why they should listen to you and what they will get from you.Write a script for your cold calling (and memorize it as much as you can) or build templates for your writing messages.

Scripts has to:

Reduce pauses during the phone call

Help you to use a normal language

Provide high-level interest generators

Give you quickly the clearest answers to the most frequent questions/objections

4. Start building Relationship

Use different ways to contact prospect. The most famous one is cold calling but you need to be more present to catch the attention of your prospect. So use emails, social media messages, etc.

5. Nurture Relationship

To reach your dream client you might need multiple interactions with your prospect and these multiple interaction will permit you to catch at each interaction a bit more his attention. Selling Is a matter of relationship and Prospecting open this relationship. Build a nurturing plan, when you store, manage and determine when you will send content to prospects. Use letter, infographic, video, white papers etc.

6. Conclusion:

Remember prospecting is not selling! The objective of prospecting is to find leads that will be qualified and led into a sale afterward. As prospecting is a matter of building relationship, it reduces pressure on the prospect and the salesperson which permit to build a great basis of trust for a deal by the time active selling enters the picture.