4 Tips to Ease Prospecting Woes

NOW is a great time for prospecting and getting new business. Potential customers will be more eager to consider new suppliers and looking to lower their business expenses. This factor alone could make it easier to get in the door and introduce the value your company has to offer. As you set your goals for the year ahead, be sure that your prospecting efforts are strategic, proactive, and ongoing in order to keep your funnel full. If the “call to close” ratio is not where you think it should be – the blame tends to be on the sellers’ abilities. Often, companies do not look internally to see what they can do to create a better prospecting system and plan for their sellers. If you would like to see a higher level of intensity and dedication to getting new business, we suggest creating a targeted prospecting plan and program, supported by the company and with a well-defined sales process. Here are some things to consider:

Reflection Questions

What is your approach today to capture your new accounts?
How could it be improved?
Ask yourself… If someone were to take over my job tomorrow, how would I describe to them my prospecting plan and process?
Ask your company… What is our prospecting plan and process to get new business?

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These 4 tips will dramatically improve your close rate!

Create a qualified prospect database of these “ideal customers.” Doing so will certainly improve your sellers’ call to close ratio.
Utilize a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool to streamline and automate prospecting efforts. CRM tools offer an element of accountability and will guide sellers through a sales process that will shorten the sales cycle while managing the funnel and improving retention activities.
Establish and document a successful sales process. Most sellers need clear direction and a step-by-step process with tools and materials to support their sales effort. Without this, they may be reinventing the wheel every time or doing the same things that aren’t working over and over again.

We all know the importance of having a constant flow of new business. With a sales prospecting program, you won’t need to rely on selling skills alone to achieve the new business numbers required to grow. There is no better time than today to begin improving your current process, and providing your sales reps with a more aggressive, effective method for bringing in new accounts.

In our next blog, we’ll give you a very clear method of establishing your formal new business Sales Process.

Krista S. Moore is the Founder and CEO of K.Coaching, Inc., a sales leadership coaching, consulting, and training organization. She is a sought-after Motivational Speaker, Author, Certified Business Coach, and Talk Show Host. Moore combines her real-life business experiences, certified business coaching, and motivational style to help others achieve outstanding success in their lives and in their careers.

Moore is host of The Krista Moore Talk Show, and author of Race to Amazing: Your Fast Track to Sales Leadership. These are her “give backs” to help others continue to learn, develop, and grow into being the best that they can be.