Are you ready for the changes this year will bring?
I’ll give you 10 things that you need to be on alert for with regards to prospecting in this new economy.
1. Engage the CEO
Does it have to be the CEO? No, but you have to be prepared to go further up the food chain than ever before because budgets are tighter this year. People are more cautious, which means decision-making typically made lower down in an organization is going to be made further up.
That means you better be prepared to get those relationships in place and start engaging people further up the food chain now.
2. Radio silence
Customers are going to go radio silent and you better be prepared to counter it. Since decisions are being slowed and people are being more cautious, there’s a tendency to go radio silent because they want to check out competition. You’ve got to keep in front of them.
One of the best techniques that I love to do is automatically send them some insights, or some information to show to them how beneficial you’re going to be to them as an organization. It’s not just, “Hey, let’s talk.” Instead, it’s showing up with value from the get-go.
It’s one of the easiest ways to break that radio silence.
3. Be laser focused
It’s going to be tempting to sit there and chase the shiny object, but right now more than ever you better stay in your sandbox.
You need to be laser focused to understand exactly what’s happening in your industry, with your competitive set and your customers, because your intel is going to keep you at the front of the pack.
4. De-educate the customer
Customers are trying to do all this information gathering on their own, and as a result, they’re finding a lot of bad information. It’s your job to come in and be able to verify, and when necessary, de-educate.
It’s possible what they think they need doesn’t contribute to the solution they’re looking for. Or perhaps it isn’t going to be the best strategy to help them achieve their outcome. You have to de-educate them first so you can educate them.
5. Your personal reputation
It’s not your company reputation, it’s your personal reputation that matters. Let’s not kid ourselves. There are multiple companies out there that probably sell and provide what you provide.
What’s going to be the distinguishing difference? You. You better be watching and protecting your personal reputation more than ever right now.
Click the image for more, or read more information below.
6. LinkedIn and social media
LinkedIn is without a doubt a valuable tool since so many people go there. Whether or not your industry is on LinkedIn, there are still industries out there where people prefer checking you out on Google.
If they’re checking you out on Google, chances are your LinkedIn profile’s coming up first. Therefore, you better make sure that you’re engaging and not just a ghost profile out there with no posts.
Listen to Ep. 62 of The Sales Hunter Podcast for game-changing tips for LinkedIn from expert Richard Bliss.
7. Bigger network
Of course, this isn’t just a game to see how many people you can get to know, but rather it’s a process of staying engaged with people who are in your circle.
A bigger network helps because more people are going to be challenging more things before they make a decision. Not to mention a larger network means greater opportunities for referrals.
8. More contacts
The bigger your network, the more contacts you’re going to have. This is going to work to your advantage because in dealing with a company, you may normally sell to two or three people. Now it may be four to eight people.
You’re going to need more contacts within the organization to complete the same amount of transactions as you did last year.
9. In-person engagement
During COVID, we all learned how to sell online. In-person is worth a lot now because it hasn’t been done in a long time.
It could even be as easy as attending a conference or a trade show.
I get it, sometimes your customers are everywhere and you can’t go see them all. However, you may have an in-person relationship with someone who in turn has an in-person relationship with your customer.
10. Referrals
Referrals are without a doubt gold. They’re one of the most effective ways to grow your network and amazing opportunities to increase revenue.
The trick is: how do I ask for a referral? When? Who? A great place to start is giving your own referrals; you have to give to get.
Read this article for tips on how to ask for referrals.
OR, I went in-depth on this topic in my Referrals Masterclass. Those that master the art of referrals are bound for the Top 1% of Salespeople. It’s that important of a skill!
Available 1/26: How to Be More Valuable to Your Customers
with guest Matt Heinz
What’s keeping you from being in the top 1% of all salespeople?
Don’t say you can’t do it, I’m here to show you how.
January 31, I’ll show you the exact steps salespeople in the top 1% did to get there and stay there. I’ll give you the playbook they use, and how they make it happen. Join me live or get the recording.
Copyright 2023, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.
