Target Your Prospecting

A common mistake made by even the most seasoned salesperson is to use a shotgun approach when prospecting; in other words, trying to target dozens or hundreds of different companies. According to sales trainer Kelley Robertson, "This massive blitz works if you cold call for a living and need a large number of prospects in your pipeline. However, in most cases, this approach is not as effective as it used to be, especially in today's challenging economy."

"A more effective way to prospect is to create a list of 100 companies that could benefit from your product, service, or solution," continues Robertson. "Once this is completed narrow your list to a maximum of two dozen organizations and focus your prospecting efforts on that short list."

"The key to using this approach is to carefully research each company and learn as much about them as you can. Find out who the key decision makers are and the names of their executive assistants. Then use a variety of methods to make contact with your prospect including: email, voice mail, fax, snail mail, and face-to-face contact at conferences, trade shows, and networking events."

"During each contact, demonstrate your expertise and knowledge of their industry, potential business challenges and areas of opportunity. Give them insights to improve their business or solve a particular challenge. Do this on a regular basis: every 3-5 business days for the first two-three weeks, weekly for the next month, every other week for the following two months, and at least monthly after that. If you discover that a particular company has no interest or need for your offering strike them off your list and replace them with another company."

"This is a challenging strategy and it requires planning before you execute," says Robertson. "However, you will the results are typically much better because you quickly differentiate yourself from your competition."

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com