You Can Hate Prospecting But Make Sure You Do It!

New to sales? You may find the idea of prospecting daunting. That's OK, many people are uncomfortable prospecting. There's something about approaching someone you don't know and asking them to spend money that brings out the anxiety in people. But really, that's OK. It's OK to hate prospecting. I first came across that piece of advice about 15 years ago and it changed my entire outlook on the function.



Yes, I don't always like to prospect. I also don't like to go to the gym but I do it because of the benefits it holds for me. I don't like to eat certain foods but I do it anyway because it keeps me healthy. The same approach can be taken with prospecting. New business must be developed. Your customer list is like a bucket with a hole in it. No matter how great your product or service it, you will also lose a certain amount of customers. The only way to keep your revenues steady and/or to ensure growth is to continually "pour" more customers into the bucket. This means prospecting.



When you adjust your mindset, it becomes an easier activity. It's just one of the things you do to keep your business healthy. You don't need to do it constantly. You might need to start small and build up to the amount of time you should spend on prospecting. You find the level that works best for you. The bottom line though, is that you must do it. Networking alone won't always bring you the volume of customers you need so you must be prepared to spend several hours a week on additional prospecting efforts. They may range from cold calling people from business directories to contacting people who've done business with you in the past but haven't recently. Either way, make sure you do it. Create a schedule for it and carry it out.



I might not like to eat broccoli, but it's high in anti-oxidants so I eat it anyway. Go...call your prospects.....