Prospecting Is a Mental Game

Prospecting is a game that too many salespeople have already lost because they’re mentally unprepared.

I want you to be successful at prospecting, and I’m going to tell you ten things to get your head in the game. 

1. Prep the day before.

You can’t go into anything mentally prepared if you have no idea what you’re getting into. 

Who are the contacts I’m going to be calling?
What are my expectations? 

If you wait till that morning, you’re going to waste so much valuable time just getting ready.

2. Set the expectations.

It’s not your job to boil the ocean. Prospecting is one step at a time, and you have to be mentally prepared for the long haul. 

You’re not going to make a couple phone calls and suddenly business is just falling into your lap. It’s going to take time. Set some expectations to prepare your mindset.

3. Immerse yourself. 

If you want to become good at anything, you have to do it. You’ve got to set yourself up for really learning and studying the craft. 

That’s why I strongly recommend the Sales Hunter Podcast and the Sales Hunter University. Both of these are focused around prospecting and helping you gain knowledge and skills.

If you want to become good at it, you’ve got to watch, learn, and listen from those who are good. Investing in yourself is more than just dollars, it’s also taking the time to read/listen and apply knowledge.

via The Sales Hunter on GIPHY

4. Set daily and hourly goals. 

If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there? 

I love setting daily and hourly goals such as,  “During this hour, I’m going to achieve x.” Set yourself daily goals that you can accomplish. 

Here’s what I’ve found, success creates success. Achieving these smaller goals propels you forward. 

Read how salespeople can organize their time and goals. 

5. Expect success.

If you go in to prospecting thinking, “Nothing’s going to happen here,” nothing will happen, I guarantee it. But if you go in with an expectation of success, it is amazing how much better you’ll listen. 

That’s right, you’ll listen better, hear more things, find opportunities.

If I put two people in a room: one with a great attitude expecting success, and one a negative Nelly, and I give them the same list, guess what? The negative Nelly will come out of it with zero, and the person who has that success mindset is going to come out of it ahead.

6. Know your contact. 

The days of just randomly grabbing a phone book and calling people are gone. 

Okay, now there are some SDRs out there who still are just given lists. I get that, but that’s becoming a smaller and smaller field all the time. 

You may not know your contact personally, but do know the industry they’re in. Sure, you may not have had time to do a deep dive into their website, their company, and their personal profiles every time.  But any amount of background knowledge gives you a greater level of confidence. 

Remember, confidence makes you listen better.

via The Maury Show on GIPHY

7. Know your outcome.

If you don’t know the outcomes your customers achieve, you’re too focused on the product. 

Don’t sell the product. Sell the outcome. 

When you sell the outcome, the customer is going to understand the value you offer much better and much faster.

8. Play the long game.

Prospecting is not something you do one hour a month. “Well, I tried it for a couple days, it didn’t work, so I guess I can’t prospect.” Nope. 

Mentally prepare yourself that it is going to take time to fill your pipeline. 

9. Remove the negativity.

If you have negative people that you hang out with, you can’t afford it. There may be news sites, things that you listen to, watch, or read that are negative. Get them out because it’s amazing how it eats away at your mindset. 

Prospecting is already tough enough. But when you have the right mental outlook, it’s amazing how much easier it is.

10. You need a support person. 

You need a champion, an accountability partner, somebody who can come alongside you. 

If you are looking for somebody like that, reach out to me because I have some ways to match people up. Reach out and grab me on that!

4 Ways to Make Sales Less Complicated

Uncomplicate your prospecting and sales process with these four tips.

Find Episode 69 here.

The Perfect Plan for Sales, Business, and Life 

with Don Barden  

Episode 70 available Thursday, 2/2! Subscribe today! 

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.