Sales prospecting is where the salesperson makes their money.

True sales prospecting is creating business. Your job is to identify qualified prospects, help them understand their needs and help them gain confidence in you so they will do business with you.

Anyone can fulfill orders from customers who call. Yes, we love business like that, but our focus as a salesperson needs to be on generating sales from customers who would not have found us otherwise.

Remember taking orders from customers who contact you is not prospecting. It’s called customer service.

Here are 10 personal quotes I use when I’m working with salespeople and companies on sales prospecting:

• Until you contact the customer, you haven’t done anything.

• It’s prospects that buy; not suspects.
• Thinking about a prospect does not qualify as prospecting.

• Selling to your mother is not prospecting.

• Networking is not prospecting. (click here to read more)

• The confidence you have going into the sales call will determine the level of profit you have coming out.

• The number of sales calls it takes to close a sale is determined more by your own belief  than by the customer’s willingness to buy.

• A prospect is not a prospect until they’ve shared  a piece of proprietary information with you.

• The most valuable part of the prospecting process is your own time. (click here for 5 Ways to Invest Your Time to Sell Better)

• Answering the phone, and taking an order from a person who is reaching out to you is not prospecting…it’s called customer service.

The day of easy sales are over. If you’re waiting for the phone to ring, good luck and let me know how it works out for you. On the other hand, if you’re serious about your profession, get out and start making it happen.

 These quotes hopefully will get you thinking, boost your sales motivation and, more importantly, help make you a more effective salesperson.

Online, on-demand sales training made for salespeople like you.

For more teaching by Mark Hunter, find excellent learning opportunities at The Sales Hunter University. You can choose from Masterclasses on a variety of topics, such as:

• Email Prospecting
• Annual Planning
• Phone Prospecting

And much more! Choose from over a dozen, or become an All Access Member and get them all. 

Copyright 2012, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.