Prospecting is about helping people. If you know you have the ability to help someone then you owe it to them to reach out to them. Failing to reach out to them is doing them a disservice. How would you feel if you knew someone could help you but didn’t connect with you, simply because they didn’t know that you could? Sadly, I see this happen too often with people. The same thing doesn’t have to happen to you though. Sales is about helping people, and it starts by reaching out.
Make the call! Yes, they might not take your call. Yes, it might take multiple attempts to reach them, but you owe it to them and you owe it to yourself. There are times when the reach out is obvious, and there are times it is not so obvious. The point is that you must keep trying until you make contact and have a meaningful conversation. Last year, I experienced a slow leaking tire while driving a rental car. I passed it off as being a lousy rental car, since the car was a little hard to handle. Within a few miles, the tire was flat and I was stuck. Thinking back on that experience, there were probably many drivers that saw my very low tire; they had an opportunity to call it out to me, but none did. If somebody would’ve caught my attention and pointed out the issue soon enough, I would have had enough time to return the car to the rental location. This is a simple, yet classic situation of a person knowing that they could help but choosing not to. This is what sales is: people helping people. Yes, the tire example might be unusual but the plain truth is that we have to take the initiative.
If you’re wondering how you can help, or maybe you just don’t have the motivation to prospect then stop and take a look at your existing customers. Ask yourself about the outcomes they’ve been able to achieve because of what you sold them. Stop, and take a few minutes to make a list of them all. Don’t list what you sold to them, list outcomes which are the things they were able to achieve because of what you sold to them.
It’s an old sales story, but people do not buy a drill bit. No, people buy the drill bit, because they want a hole. But why do they want a hole? They may need a hole because they are assembling a table. But why do they need a table? They need a table to put into their great room. Why do they need a table in their great room? They want to have a place for food and drinks to allow them to better enjoy the room. Now, do you see what the drill bit was all about? It wasn’t about a drill bit, it was about creating a lifestyle. What you sell creates outcomes, so focus on uncovering outcomes not on what you sell.
That’s what prospecting is all about: helping others achieve their desired outcome, or end result. Sales is helping people and it begins with prospecting. There’s no reason to be hesitant, there’s no reason to be intimidated; what you’re doing is a service. It’s true that you will be rejected in prospecting far more than you’ll be appreciated. If prospecting was easy, then sales would be easy and it wouldn’t pay as much. I always approach prospecting with two things in mind: first, I know I can help them if we can have a conversation. Second, if they choose not to talk with me now, it will only be a matter of time before they do.
Helping others achieve by prospecting begins with having the right mindset. It’s a key reason why I wrote my newest book, A Mind for Sales. I strongly suggest you buy it, read it, and apply it. The book will make a difference. Remember you’re not buying a book, you’re helping create outcomes because you chose to buy the book.
Here’s what one reader had to say about my new book:
My biggest takeaway is that sales is a lifestyle. It’s easy to switch off, when ‘work finishes’. But I have been realizing that the more I’ve grown in the sales industry, the more I’m always trying to come up with new ideas on how to gain new business, approach a lead/prospect/character. There were SO many gems. P. 29: You are the most important person you will ever sell to or lead. P. 46: Sell first, negotiate second. P. 69: The most difficult sale we make is to ourselves. P. 71: Sales is not a solo activity. Sales is a team sport. P. 115: The more difficult the question, the greater the reward you may uncover. P. 127: The only good sale is one that leads to the next sale.
You’ll find a whole lot more about prospecting and specifically how that boils down to helping others in my new book, A Mind For Sales. Many people are raving about how much of an impact it’s had on them professionally AND personally during these tough times. Grab your copy, and I would love for you to submit a review. Sharing comments is a helpful way to spread the word! You can submit a review on Amazon or wherever you purchased the book. Order now!
Copyright 2020, 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.
