What are the secrets to being a pro prospector?
You might think that being a prospecting expert means being a born salesperson–as if you’ve got it, or you don’t. I don’t think that’s the case at all.
In my book, A Mind For Sales, you’ll read in the first two chapters that I was anything but a born salesperson. However, I’ve come to love prospecting, and that’s why I work with thousands of salespeople every year across multiple industries.
I want to help you be great at it, too.
Video – Secrets to Being a Prospecting Expert
1. Never stop learning
I am continually coming up with new strategies on cadences, how to word an email, how to do a phone call. Becoming a prospecting expert means that you never stop improving.
You’re kind of like a scientist. You’re always testing a new hypothesis, running an experiment, and interpreting the results.
2. Know your role
Experts recognize that they’re going to run into objections. They’re going to deal with people who are going to reject them. But, the key is they know their duty is to help people.
If you’re a faithful blog reader, you may have read this here before: If you know you have the ability to help someone, it’s your obligation to reach out to them. The prospecting expert is zeroed in on those opportunities.
3. Be motivated
Do you feel motivated because you know you can impact people? I love prospecting because I know I can help people.
I came across someone the other day. They don’t know me, but I looked at their company and I knew I could help them. I was excited to reach out. I wasn’t able to connect with them on the first call, but I’m going to try again. I’m going to keep working with them because I know I can make a difference, and I’m motivated to help.
Read more about how to create a prospecting mindset.
4. Be goal focused
The prospecting expert focuses on the objectives they’ve set.
Today I’m going to make 20 calls. Today I’m going to do 20 messages. My goal this week is to have three conversations. I’m going to move people this far down in my sales pipeline.
Experts know their goals, and don’t lose sight of them. Set numbers and don’t stop until you achieve them.
In my own life, I set goals every week, but come Friday, sometimes I’m slipping. However, I’m not going to end Friday until I achieve those goals. It has me ending the week feeling really good because I met the goals.
Not only that, but I kept my promise to myself, and that speaks to my own integrity.
5. Be customer centered
You must know who your customers are and stay absolutely zeroed in on their needs.
The prospecting expert knows that their number one objective is not to sell, but rather to help customers.
Ultimately, that’s what they achieve because they’re focused on the customer.
6. Have a very tight ICP, Ideal Customer Profile
Experts know that the most valuable resource they have is their time. They don’t waste it on other things.
They are very tightly focused on their ideal customer. Now they may have two or three ICPs, but that’s it.
They don’t sit there and chase shiny objects. They invest their time in customers that could give them a return on that investment.
7. Be time driven
I mentioned earlier how I’ve come down to Fridays and I’m lagging and I need to make something happen. Prospecting experts are time driven because they know the customer’s time is valuable, and their own time is even more valuable.
That means from a prospecting standpoint, they don’t say: “Well, I’ll follow up with you a month from now.” Absolutely not. Try: “I’m going to follow up with you next week,” or, “I’m going to follow up with you in two days.” Pro Proespectors speed the process along.
Experts are time driven in terms of how they manage their time, but also in terms of understanding the relationship between time and money.
Time is the one resource that you can’t make more of.
8. Never stop learning
Great prospecting experts don’t pass blame.
I see too many salespeople blaming other factors. They might say, “Well I would prospect better if marketing did their job.” Or, “ I’d be able to prospect if our company had these products or services. They’re going to have them next year, so I’ll wait and prospect then.”
These are just excuses. The great prospecting expert owns the process and they don’t allow external issues to dictate their success or diminish their drive. Instead, they go out and make it happen.
9. Have a positive attitude
What’s the difference between being motivated and having a positive attitude? Well, I can be motivated to get something done and have a pretty bad attitude.
A positive attitude means I love what I do. I don’t look at sales as a job, or even as a profession. Sales to me is a lifestyle. I love it. Keeping a positive attitude comes naturally because I know I can influence and impact people in a great way. I know I can help people, and so I wake up every morning and I’m jazzed.
My positive outlook helps me see that despite the bumps along the way, it’s going to be okay. I don’t let it phase me.
Read more about How to Get Out of a Sales Slump
10. Be balanced
It’s about being emotionally stable. It’s very easy in prospecting to have a really ugly phone call, or to have a very difficult conversation where somebody just jumps at you. If I’m anxious or imbalanced, that derails me for the day.
The balanced person decides it’s okay, they can deal with it, and they get back on the horse and make the next call.
Being emotionally centered means being consistent. They know prospecting is a muscle and they’ve got to exercise it daily. Balanced means you’re the rock in the sales organization, and you’re the one who’s out there every day making it happen.
Now that you’ve got 10 tips for becoming an expert in prospecting, are you looking to up your sales game even more? I have so many resources to help you do just that.
Check out my upcoming online Masterclass dedicated to Prospecting. We’ll cover topics such as how to get a prospect to respond, the role of social media, crafting your messaging, ideal customer profiles, and much more.
Every topic is related back to your own practices and business to foster both personal and professional growth. Prospecting: Building the Plan and Making it Happen is live through May 26th.
Want more? By being part of my online program, The Sales Hunter University, you get to have open office hours with me, personal coaching programs, and additional material that you’ll never get anywhere else. Everything there is designed to help you.
Great selling.
There are things you attend and there are things you experience. OutBound Conference is one you experience!
We’re safely filling the Georgia World Congress Center with 1,000+ attendees from around the world. This is for those who are pumped to elevate and recharge their sales career!
OutBound is the only conference focused exclusively on sales prospecting, pipeline, and productivity.
I’d love to meet you in person, but virtual options are available, too. Take $100 off your tickets with code “mark100.”
I hope to see you there! June 15-18th, 2021.
Copyright 2021, 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.
Great read! Mark Hunter sir, working at scale with both cold and inbound leads, managing all the responses, and multiple conversation can be very difficult at times, this blogs tell about how to be customer centered and focused to be a prospecting expect. Thank you.
Great read! Mark Hunter sir! When working at scale with both cold and inbound leads, managing all the responses, and multiple conversation can be very difficult. And this blogs tell us how to be Customer centered and focused and be a Prospecting expert. Thank you.