Is prospecting a four-letter word in your mind? If you had to choose between prospecting and having a root canal, which would you choose? Maybe you wouldn’t choose the root canal; however, you certainly would rather have a cavity filled than have to prospect. Relax! You’re not alone.
It’s always been said that the things people fear most are death, taxes, and public speaking. I bet prospecting would be on the list too if everyone had to do it. If you’re like most people who dread prospecting, you have to keep a few things in mind. First of all, nobody is ever harmed, no animals or children are hurt and no blood is shed due to prospecting.
People’s attitude towards prospecting is simply that: an attitude developed in the mind that can be either positive or negative. It’s just a matter of what you make of it. For many, that attitude is negative and something they dread doing, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
One reason why people dread prospecting is because they feel like they have an excuse. Their excuse is the need to take care of other things. They think business will somehow come to them. This excuse causes them to believe that if the pain becomes too great, they can just go get a different job. Each one of these excuses is just that, an excuse, and none of them need to exist.
If your focus is to take advantage of people and somehow deprive them of money or live up to people’s bad perceptions of sales, then you will struggle. On the other hand, if you see yourself able to help people achieve a better outcome, that’s a different story.
How can you start having not just a better attitude but a great attitude towards prospecting? Watch this video, and start doing the following:
1. Record all of the ways you’ve helped customers who have purchased from you before.
2. Record all of the potential ways you can help people through building a relationship with them.
3. Create an avatar of your perfect customer.
4. Block your time to ensure you have big chunks dedicated to only prospecting. For each window of time, make a specific goal to make “x” number of calls.
5. Know exactly how you will handle every type of conversation you are in.
6. Realize that the vast majority of people you speak to will not do anything. It’s no different than watching cars drive past a restaurant and knowing that only a few will stop.
7. Remember that the people you call are not expecting your call. Yes, your call will be an interruption in their day, but you’re doing it because you know that you can help them.
8. The value you bring begins with you and your personality.
9. Your goal with each call is to merely gain the next step to move the process forward.
10. Whenever a person speaks harshly on a call, their attitude towards you might very well just be a reaction to something else that occurred before you called.
11. Celebrate the victories regardless of how small they might be.
12. Just as a farmer plants in the spring and harvests months later, you as the salesperson will also need time to grow a lead and harvest a customer.
13. Be proud of yourself and know that you’re making a difference in each person you are able to speak with.
14. Begin each day with thankfulness for the previous day’s successes. Then, look optimistically at the opportunities ahead of you that day.
15. Begin each day writing down 3 things that you are thankful for in your life. Tell 3 others that you value them and appreciate what they do.
16. If the person you’re talking to has a negative attitude, never let their pessimism infect your mind.
17. Accept the idea that everyone is unique and special so that makes every conversation special.
18. Never allow others to define your level of success- success is what you choose it to be.
19. Take time to celebrate and take time to review. Always try to build on the past to create a better tomorrow.
20. Only associate with those that have a positive attitude.
Copyright 2019, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results
