3 Skills to Develop in Sales Prospecting

What do you think of when you hear the word "sales prospecting?" Many people, including seasoned salespeople, cringe when they hear that dreaded "p" word. But, do you ever consider how prospecting impacts your business? Sales prospecting is much more than just cold calling and is an essential part of the sales process for developing your pipeline of potential customers. So why exactly is sales prospecting so daunting for most people? The answer to that most likely lies within yourself. Let's explore three sales prospecting techniques you should work on daily in your sales process to grow your business:

1. Develop self-discipline

To be successful at anything, you have to practice and be consistent at it. What are you good at doing? Did you master it overnight? Except for a unique few, probably not. Winston Churchill once said, "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." It is possible to be good at something you don't necessarily like, but with self-discipline, you will find that as your skill improves you will begin to dislike it less. It is a no-brainer that sales prospecting brings new buyers to your business, so it's a business survival skill and activity you can't afford to skip. When you already have clients, it is easy to ignore doing sales prospecting for your business, so reframing prospecting survival skills into a disciplined approach to your prospecting activities will ensure a steady flow of referrals and potential customers.

2. Take out the head trash

Our personal beliefs and self-doubt can hinder us from our successes in more ways than we may realize. "Head trash" is mental self-sabotage and can reduce our determination as sales professionals, keeping us from reaching our goals. If you walk into your office with the belief you will fail at sales prospecting today, then you will inevitably fail at sales prospecting. If you have in your mind the decision makers you are going to talk to today are all going to say, "No," then you will become demotivated and discouraged. Take out that head trash and step into your office with confidence and a positive mindset! You may be pleasantly surprised at how far you can go when you are not lugging around all that "head trash." Suppose you need a positive reminder of your strengths? Revisit your DISC profile results to see just how resilient and amazing you are.

3. Do your homework

Take the time to learn about your prospective customers and buyers. If you consider the different DISC styles of individuals and their top fears, you'll understand why the person on the other end of your call is instantly resistant. People don't do business with people they don't trust. So, how do you build rapport quickly, especially over the phone? It is easiest to relate to people like you. Consider asking open-ended questions and listen for clues to identify what their DISC style might be, such as the pace at which they speak, how detailed or direct their responses are, whether they ask more than tell, or if their responses include people versus things. Also, take the time to learn about their company and really get to know who they are by doing a little digging into their website and social media. A little bit of research in advance will save you some potential embarrassment or regret in your outreach later.

Keeping these three things in mind and working on them daily will pay off as you become acquainted with your sales prospecting process. If sales prospecting is still a challenge for you or your sales team, check out the online Prospecting Success! course by PeopleKeys for your professional sales development and gain greater insight into filling your sales pipeline successfully.