Prospecting: Not A Wild Goose Chase... Its A HUNT

Prospecting for future customers can be fun if you approach it the right way. It is not a wild goose chase; it is a wild goose HUNT.

Cold prospecting requires you to start from nothing and end up with the name and contact information of the person who can say "yes" to you. If you are in a situation where you have to use cold prospecting as a way to generate sales, you should go in fully prepared. Your goose hunting gear includes both research and creativity.

In order to sell your product to a business, you must first find out who the real decision maker is. This is the fun part.

You should start your research on the internet. It is amazing how much you can find out about a person or a company with Google. Typically, if the business is public, you will find all the information that you need to know on their annual reports. If the company is not a public one, or you simply are not having much luck with their financial statements, then you should look for company press releases. As a matter of fact, before you start all of this digging, try their homepage. Between all of these different methods you will come up with a name and some form of contact information.

Contact information does not need to include their direct phone line (good luck getting that). There are four acceptable means of contacting your future customers ? email, snail mail, fax, and telephone. Gather as much information as you can.

In order to gather enough information you will also need to be creative. This part is more fun than the first part. There are no bounds when trying to engage your future customer and trying to reach the coveted next step ? the appointment. Don't shy away because you feel that your methods might be 'unprofessional.' Salespeople worry too much about professionalism.

Instead, you should try and have fun. By having fun and being creative you will not only enjoy yourself, you will get your future customer to smile. Now that is something that your competition was certainly NOT able to do.

The best way to get your creative juices flowing is to write down what your objective is. Your objective could be to get the email address of the decision maker. With that in mind, think about all the different ways to get an email address. Start by calling and asking for it. If it sounds too simple, then you obviously have not tried it before.

No luck calling, then stop in. If you expertly prepare for a cold call visit, you'll be able to have a hand delivered note to the decision maker accompanying your information. You do not just want to leave you information; you want to get to know the gatekeeper on a first name basis, and ask him/her for the decision maker's business card. This will go smoothly due to the fact that you are already walking in the door with their name. (You should also try and see the decision maker right then on the spot.)

Now you have their business card and you are on a first name basis with the gatekeeper. You are now prepared to expertly engage the decision maker and move on to the next step ? getting the appointment.

When you are prospecting you need to have the guts to try something new. What do you have to lose? You didn't even know their name before. Have some fun and be creative. If you sound like a salesperson, then you are doing something wrong and chances are you aren't having any fun.

Tom Richard is the author of Smart Sales People Don't Advertise: 10 Ways To Outsmart Your Competition With Guerilla Marketing To view this book, or to join Tom's weekly ezine, visit http://www.tomrichard.com/

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Change Takes Time

I am writing this at the Philadelphia Airport on my... Read More

Closing The Sale

So -- you've just gotten off of the phone with... Read More

Growing Sales Through Creating Connections

Your mission as a business owner is to develop a... Read More

The Road to Pendingville is Paved with Good Intentions

If you've been in sales for any length of time,... Read More

Emotions That Sell, Part 2

In the last article, we looked at three emotions (besides... Read More

11 Powerful Methods of Sales Lead Generation

Are you searching for new and innovative ways of sales... Read More

Secrets That Lead To Failure In Sales

Let's be realistic nobody really wants to be labeled a... Read More

Increase Your Sales Without Spending Another Cent

Many home business owners lament they don't have enough cash... Read More

Using the Consultative Approach to Gaining Sales

What do we mean by a consultative approach?When you hear... Read More

A Revolutionary NEW Dimension in Sales

A Revolutionary 'NEW' Dimension In Sales: Make many more closings... Read More

Are You Missing Out On Sales Through Fear of Pain? Improve the Persuasive Power of Your Words!

Education plus Motivation is a powerful formula. But how do... Read More

7 Ways to Get to the Truth: When the Sale Disappears

Based on his most recent e-mail, "Everything looks good --... Read More

Leverage Avoidance Values for Irresistible Selling

What are values? Values are filters that everyone uses to... Read More

The Top 7 Sales Blunders

We all make mistakes when selling our product or service.... Read More

Top Ten No Money Promotion Ways That Create New Clients and Fast Sales

Better than offline promotion such as press releases, talks, or... Read More

Putting Benefits Before Features

Having spent so many years in retail, I always enjoy... Read More

The Changing Role of the Sales Consultant

"Leadership rests not only on outstanding ability. It also rests... Read More

3 Steps to Immediately Improve Sales

Want to increase sales within your company? It's not as... Read More

Positioning for Profits!

Last Friday, I was spending one last day of freedom... Read More

How Do You Use Your Sales Commissions?

What do you do when you have a big sales... Read More

The Power of Confidence

My experience has taught me that people want to buy... Read More

Selling More Effectively as a Trusted Sales Professional - Thirteen Tips

Do you want to sell more successfully using an honorable... Read More

Assumptions ? The Hidden Sales Killer

Assumptions can kill a sale. In my sales training workshops,... Read More

The ?Shocking? Sales Strategy of Saying THANKS!

I would like you to begin thinking of mailboxes in... Read More

8 Must Questions to Ask in Every Sales Situation

Solving people's and organization's problems is ultimately what business is... Read More

Four Ways To Increase Your Sales Fast... In 2-4 Weeks?

You built a very good web site...You have a great... Read More

Curiosity and How It Effects Your Business Proposition

The first 15 seconds of your approach are the most... Read More

Closing the Sale - It Doesnt Have To Be Uncomfortable

"The Close" is sales jargon for the bit where you... Read More

How Pareto?s Principle Impacts Your Sales Success

Pareto's Principle {the 80/20 rule) is vividly illustrated in the... Read More

Maximize Sales and Minimize Returns with Learning Styles

In the day-to-day operation of an online business we can... Read More

Dont Close Your Eyes Or Let Deaf Ears Fall Upon You

To listen to your customer is important, and to hear... Read More

Really WINNING Over Customers

Three qualities are needed to sell anything in life. They... Read More

Your Business Approach Can Make or Break a Business Deal

Every sales presentation should start with the approach, or introduction.... Read More