Prospecting New Business: Sales at its best

There is perhaps nothing in the sales profession that is more rewarding and personally satisfying than to take a customer away from the competition. And in addition how to pick up a new customer makes you feel, it does not hurt your wallet either.

So, if the prospect can be so much fun, because the sellers these days do more of it? Why are so many, even veteran sellers so firmly stuck in a rut already a customer?

I think the answer is in part because the effort of professional prospects for new business is damn difficult and takes time and partly because there are too many sellers content with their current levels of income.

But I think there's another reason: Sales managers do not require their sales forces for research. I believe that a certain amount of exploration should be a condition of use for each sales force.

ADVANTAGES FOR THE EXPLORATION

1. Market Intelligence: There is no better way to discover the most intimate details of the competitive levels of service that customers can call your competitors.

So on every call to ask a prospect or two key questions to find out how the company stacks against competition. Over the years, I learned a lot about the art of asking good questions to Art Sobczak, author of the popular monthly newsletter, sales report by phone (800-326-7721). Sobczak describes the fundamentals of questions:

Open-Ended

It is about having feelings, ideas and emotions - not one or two-word answers. Questions often begin with "how," "what," "why".

For example: "How would you like to plan their deliveries"

Or: "What do you do when ...?"

Closed

This is to solicit one or two-word answers. Their best use is to obtain specific information. Not recommended for frequent use, since they are conversation killers.

"What is the size of a typical of your orders?"

Questions Add-On/Layering

In response to what the prospect said other questions designed to encourage them to continue talking. For example:

"Oh?"

"So what happened?"

Parrot Questions

Repetition, as a question, what he or she has just said.

"Are you having trouble getting deliveries on time, how exactly do you mean?"

Statements Instructional

You're not asking for information, you are telling them to give you.

"Tell me more"

"Give me an idea ..."

"Please tell me ..."

"Please, explain ..."

When you use these applications, make sure you know where you go when you get answers.

Building professional relationships. I know of no better way to establish a professional relationship with the prospects you are selling rather than make prospecting calls on them. One of the main keys is to call a prospect of success is bringing your prospects some information that will help them be more successful.

An example: "I attended a conference last weekend and heard an expert to present an economic forecast for this market One of the most insightful statements that he did was ...".

If the prospect of interest, end the visit by asking: "Would you like for me to get a copy of his flyer"

Avoid saying something like: "I tell you what I do, I'll make a copy of his flyer and bring it on."

If you put your offer in the form of a question, and the prospect answers, yes, you are then able to, in essence, to do him a favor.

Discover the opportunities. When the prospect calls, keep your eyes and ears open. You never know when you discover the possibility of providing a special need current vendor perspective is unable to satisfy.

In one of my seminars recently, a salesman told me that while on the prospect of calling the prospect asked, "Do not you guys have a special department order? I'm having a lot of difficulty finding a reliable supplier."

New business: Perhaps the best reason to insist that sellers make calls perspective is to make sure that your company is in control of their destiny. When one or more customers out slow, have their credit suspended or exit the market, it is awfully nice to have built a strong relationship with a prospect to keep sales going forward.

Try this: Sit down with your sales force and to identify creditworthy prospects and assign a number to your dealer and arrange a game plan. Then follow up with them every month and check the progress of each sales person is doing. This process will make you a better manager of sales and your salespeople become better.

For more information on the book by Bill Gross Margin Lee and his latest book, 30 Ways Managers Themselves in the foot, go to http://www.BillLeeOnLine.com. Or call 800-808-0534 to order via voice mail....