There are a lot of misconceptions about sales prospecting that can impede success if you buy into them. These misconceptions can affect the people you target and the strategies you implement for lead generation.
The following is an overview of some of the most common notions of sales prospecting that are off base, with insights to improve your strategy.
1) Quantity is Most Important
The notion that the more prospects you go after the more you close has existed for a long time. However, emphasizing quality sales leads over a large quantity is more efficient.
Concentrating on a narrower, precise audience gives you the ability to attract people that are more likely to buy. Additionally, highly-qualified prospects spend more money on bigger value solutions.
2) The Time Investment is Great
Naturally, it takes time to plan and implement effective lead generation strategies. Since much of the buyer journey takes place online, though, you don’t have as much to do up front with direct engagement.
Putting some time into strong lead generation techniques mitigate time requirements later on. You set the stage for on-point conversations with people that have a deep interest in your solutions.
3) You Should Never Acquire Prospects
Acquiring prospects from a third-party provider can help you grow your contact list quickly. Unfortunately, there are a lot of low-quality companies that offer shallow contact profiles.
The real key to acquiring prospects is to partner with a reputable firm that offers rich profiles and accurate information driven by validation and verification.
4) Sell When You Have the Chance
Too often, sales reps rush the selling cycle to land appointments and close deals. However, you need to treat prospecting as an important stage that requires time and commitment.
Don’t impede the natural progression of a prospect from initial awareness through consideration by attempting to sell too soon. The purposing of lead generation is to attract qualified leads and to begin the process of guiding them along the buying path.
5) Don’t Script Communication
You definitely want to make your prospecting activities dynamic. However, it is okay to develop scripts that serve as a basic guide to initiating contact with sales leaders. Use scripts to prepare your message and delivery. You can personalize your communication more effectively by planning your approach with each buyer persona.
It is Unnecessary When Business is Good
A lot of sales reps don’t prospect much when business is strong. They assume that their established customers and those who approach them without solicitation are enough. However, you lose a percentage of your customer base each year. If you wait until lean times to prospect, you put more pressure on yourself to aggressively pursue sales leads. This pressure can lead to ineffective and short-sighted efforts.
Conclusion
These are several of the common misconceptions about sales prospecting. Making noting of them and the insights to overcome them will help you achieve greater success.
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