In my continuing series on the Sandler Rules, let’s talk about Sandler rule number ten, “Develop a prospecting awareness.”
Many people are uncomfortable prospecting, but as I have mentioned before, you don’t have to like it you just have to do it. If you want to read more on that topic, click here.
In my experience, the problem people have with prospecting is that they do not know how.
There is an art to prospecting and it is trying to distinguish between a suspect and a prospect. A suspect is someone who you have never talked to about your product or services. A prospect is someone who is interested in the idea of doing business with you. The emphasis should be on the conversation, not the person. We all know people in our lives that do not know what we do. They are suspects. These suspects can as easily turn into prospects as they can decide to say “no.”
Don’t feel pressured to make a sale. That’s not what this is about. You want to work toward asking them if they are open to what you do. You can create the opportunity for prospecting and gain clarity on their interest level.
There are many ways you can prospect. Traditional types of prospecting include cold calls, cold walk-ins, and emails. Social media is another good way to reach out to people; Facebook and LinkedIn are the most popular sites right now.
Another good way to determine a prospecting awareness is by using the “three-foot rule.” What is the three-foot rule? If someone is within three feet of you, go introduce yourself. Ask them questions and let them talk about themselves. Some of these questions include:
• What do you do?
• How did you get into this line of work?
• What does the future look like?
• What is new and exciting in your world right now?
Eventually the conversation will roll back around to you and they’ll ask you these questions too. This is a good opportunity to share your 30-second commercial. Then, the prospecting can begin.
If you learn anything through this post, I hope it’s this: even if you don’t like prospecting, there are still ways to make it an effective use of your time and ways to become better at it. After all, until you get good at it, prospecting is about practice and promotion.