The first Back at the Office column I wrote many years ago was about prospecting for new business. I recently reread that column and realized a few things have changed over the past decade.
Prospecting means actively looking for new customers and, as I wrote then, “is a necessary part of doing business if you’re going to generate enough customer activity to meet and exceed your revenue goals.”
Prospecting, I went on to write, “… isn’t something you should be doing every now and then, or when you happen to think of it, or when an opportunity presents itself, but all the time.”
All of that is still true, but advances in technology and a changed business climate have altered how salespeople prospect. Sellers ruled the business world for centuries. The salesperson controlled when and how contact was made with a potential customer and what information was presented. Now, to a larger extent than ever, the customer is driving the bus.
THE COLD-CALLING CHALLENGE
One thing giving customers more control is the simple fact that just about everyone on the planet has caller ID, so an absolutely “cold” call is almost impossible. If your number comes up as “private” or “blocked” on caller ID, it may appear suspicious and be rejected immediately. A local number or business name on caller ID may encourage someone to answer, but even then the window of opportunity is narrow.
The business world is more competitive than ever. People are expected to do more in fewer hours and may, as a result, be overly protective of their time. Decision makers don’t want to be interrupted out of the blue by someone they have absolutely no connection with. So if you are going to call someone cold, you better be able to make that connection in the first few seconds.
MAKE A CONNECTION
Learn all you can about a prospect before you make contact. Study a prospect’s website. Try to identify decision makers and analyze a company’s needs from the information available.
Utilizing the professional networking site LinkedIn may help you make connections. Check to see if any names from your prospect’s website are part of your network or the network of someone you are connected to.
Once you’ve done your homework, try making contact with the prospect. You will sound confident if you are armed with information, and people respond positively to confidence. Opening with a topic that engages the prospect in small talk is likely to increase the time they’ll spend communicating with you. In your pitch, briefly explain how you learned of their organization, what you know about it, and how you believe you can serve them. Make it all about the customer.
As always, effective cold calling depends a lot on timing. If the person you’ve called is clearly distracted or busy with something else, offer to get back to them at a more convenient time or ask if you can email them some information.
And there’s no point in exaggerating or outright lying to a potential customer. Years ago, prospective clients had a harder time learning more about a company than what they were told in a sales pitch being thrown their way. Today with a few clicks of a mouse or taps on a screen, potential customers can learn a tremendous amount of information and draw their own conclusions.
In addition to your company’s own website which puts a positive spin on your business, potential customers may be able to read reviews – both positive and negative – of your service and see “likes” and posts on social networking sites like Facebook. And they can do the same for your competitors.
WHEN POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS CALL YOU
Everybody turns to the Internet for solutions to problems today, so you’ve got to make sure your company is there with the answers. It’s a more passive way of prospecting than cold calling from the phone book (what’s that?) or mindlessly handing out glossy flyers.
For this passive prospecting to work, you’ve got to be sure when someone types in “portable toilet, Mycity USA,” your company pops up all over the place: website, blog, articles, reviews. By the time a potential customer picks up the phone to call you and inquire about your services, he or she probably knows quite a bit about your company and has, in all likelihood, ruled out a few of your competitors.
NO MORE PAPER TRAIL
Probably the most dated advice in that old column followed the sentence, “Prospecting is easier and more productive if you keep it organized.” I suggested having a notebook or printing forms to file in a binder to write down all pertinent information related to your prospecting.
Today, information like a prospect’s name, phone number, email address, portable sanitation needs, notable comments and what service they have used in the past can all be kept on a laptop, smart phone or iPad and accessed instantly from anywhere. If you see a prospect across a room you don’t have to smack your head wishing all the information you have about them wasn’t back at the office. Now you can glance down at your smart phone and be shaking their hand and asking pertinent questions in a matter of seconds.
If you find yourself stuck in an airport or a waiting room you can use your time productively to review prospecting information on your device. Prospecting can be done anytime, anywhere.
OTHER GAME CHANGERS
A face-to-face meeting with a prospect is less likely than it was in the past. If a prospect suggests a meeting, by all means oblige, but it’s not the given it once was. Companies are understaffed and people are overworked. They’re likely to prefer you email them a proposal to look over at their convenience.
Another point I made in my original column was that making a sale can be a long process.
“It can take months, or even years, to go from initial contact to unloading portable toilets at a job site. So when you follow up with prospects, be inviting and welcoming, not annoying or desperate. Don’t go overboard, ” I wrote.
That still rings true, but today you have more tools at your disposal to use in nurturing the relationship. Use networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook to connect with prospects and keep them up to date with what’s happening at your company without pressuring or bothering them. You can also follow their activities on social networking sites and watch for opportunities to contact them about something specific rather than just randomly checking in.
While prospecting may have changed in some ways, the fact remains that it is necessary for anyone who wants to grow their business. Take a good look at how you are prospecting. Upgrading to a more customer-focused approach may make it more productive.
