Prospecting with Confidence - Evergreen Writing Services

Prospecting With Confidence

By: Valerie Weber Hamann

Be in the Right Frame of Mind

Prospecting is not an easy task. It takes a special understanding of people and knowing how to handle rejection as much as knowing how to handle success. I have good news ... the success will eventually happen with patience and perseverance.

I do not know of one successful sales professional that has achieved their success by not being in the right frame of mind when communicating with a customer. Being there, and maintaining a positive attitude is critical to achieving positive results.

Become the Expert - Learn as Much as Possible!

Before contacting a potential customer, you must know your company's products and services. There is just no getting around this fact. Product and service training is critical, so if you are in management, encourage your sales team to hone their skills by communicating with in-house product developers and customer service representatives. They are the experts regarding new technologies and frequently hear customer comments on a daily basis. Establishing a good rapport with your associates will definitely help you out when in the field.

If you have recently been hired in a new position, I understand that it is not always possible to know all of the answers - that's okay - just be up front with whom you are communicating and they will most likely have a much greater respect for you. Communicating information that is incorrect will not only hurt your reputation, but the reputation of the company. Confidently communicate to your customer that you will find out the answer to their question and quickly get back to them. Do not be apologetic, just be up front.

To become an expert takes time and experience, so don't be so hard on yourself if you don't know all of the answers. The more you communicate with internal associates and your customers, the more knowledge you will have gained, and the closer you will be placed at the top of your profession.

Know Your Target Market

Before initiating contact, you should have a very good idea about your target market. You need to know how your products or services are going to make a positive difference in how your customers are doing business. Without offering them a better solution to what they already have, you might have a much more difficult time in trying to attain new business.

There are many ways to gather information about your target market. The Internet, Chamber of Commerce, tradeshows, and professional journals are all helpful resources. For larger prospects, it is always a good idea to request information be mailed to you prior to placing a sales call. The important thing is to do your research.

Better understanding your prospect will provide you an opportunity to establish a greater rapport on the initial call.

Don't Take it Personally

When I consult, a few of my clients mention how difficult it is to handle rejection when placing sales calls. Some take it personally and will either call or email for advice or inspiration. I always tell them that rejection always comes before success, and share a few of my favorite inspiration quotes. I don't know of any successful sales professional that does not have to frequently deal with rejection. It is how you handle rejection that either stops you in your tracks or challenges you to move on.

If you experience someone being abrupt or cold with you, remain upbeat and don’t take it personally. You don’t know what is on their mind or the life circumstances they are experiencing at this time, so always be courteous. It is a fact that 55% of all telephone communication is misconstrued, so it is best to give others the benefit of the doubt ... when in doubt.

I also like to encourage sales professionals to find a good network group of other sales professionals to help them through the more challenging moments. It helps knowing that you are not alone.

Persistence

There is a fine line with being persistent or becoming a pest. Nobody wants to be labeled as a pest as this makes you look desperate and reflects poorly upon you and your organization.

3 Helpful Prospecting Tips:

1. Do not call on a daily basis. If calls are frequently being made in a short time frame a gatekeeper may be strategically placed between you and intended person. With the technology available today, I consider caller ID another form of a gatekeeper. If you have not established any kind of communication with a prospect after three or four attempts over a six week period, STOP and move on!

2. Use various methods of communication. Sales letters, direct mail, phone, email and onsite visits are all methods that need to be carefully considered when trying to establish communication. Be very careful regarding email communication as you don't want to be identified as sending out Spam.

3. It is not a good idea to call then hang up because most likely caller ID has you identified. Leave a short courteous message and kindly ask the person to return your call.

Remain Positive!

Patience and perseverance are key character traits to sales success!

Don't give up or get discouraged ... but keep moving forward! Eventually you will attain the sales success you seek if you have a good attitude, enjoy your profession, and are confident about the product or services you have to offer.

About the Author:

Valerie Weber Hamann is the Founder and President of Evergreen Writing Services, LLC. Valerie has accrued over 10 years of sales and marketing experience, and is a member of the American Marketing Association. Read more insightful articles on sales, marketing, writing and marketing communications at http://www.evergreenwritingservices.com/marketing.html.