Ch 7

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.


Prospecting

Why is prospecting important for effective selling? Are all sales leads good prospects? What are the

characteristics of a qualified prospect? How can prospects be identified? How can the organization’s promotional program be used in

prospecting? How can an effective lead qualification and management

system aid a salesperson? How can a salesperson overcome a reluctance to prospect?

Some questions answered in this chapter are:

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“The telemarketing aspect of my process can be frustrating at times because I’ll call prospects that won’t give me the time of day.”

~Tasha StulzParker Marketing Research


• Many experts believe it is the most important activity a salesperson does

• The world is constantly changing

• More important in some fields than in others

• No salesperson can ignore leads, even in a position requiring less emphasis on new contacts

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The Importance of Prospecting

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Relationship Between the Steps in the Selling Process and the Designation of the “Buyer”

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• Does a want or need exist?– Customers buy to satisfy practical needs as

well as intangible needs

• Does the lead have the ability to pay?– A client is not a real prospect without resources

to pay for the product– Ability to pay includes both cash and credit

• Does the lead have the authority to buy?– Knowing who has purchasing authority saves

the salesperson time and effort and results in a higher percentage of closed sales

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Characteristics of a Good Prospect

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• Can the lead be approached favorably?– Possibility of getting an interview– Chances of making a sale

• Is the lead eligible to buy?– Volume– Status– Sales territories

• Other criteria– Timing of the purchase– Long-term customer potential

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Characteristics of a Good Prospect (continued)

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How and Where to Obtain Prospects – Satisfied Customers

• Current and previous customers are contacted for additional business and leads

• The most effective source for leads• To maximize usefulness:

• Make a list of potential references from among most satisfied customers

• Decide how each customer can help• Ask for the names of leads and the

specific type of help needed

• Keep in touch

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How and Where to Obtain Prospects – Satisfied Customers (continued)

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Negative referralCustomer who tells others about how poorly you or your product performed.

Selling deeperAdditional sales to satisfied customers who provide leads.

Referral eventsGatherings designed to allow current customers to introduce prospects to the salesperson, to generate leads.


Example: Endless-Chain Method

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• Endless chain– Salesperson attempts to secure at least one additional

lead from each person he or she interviews– Referred lead

• Networking– Salesperson uses personal relationships with those who

are connected and cooperative to secure leads– Suggestions:

• Call at least two people per day and go to at least one networking event every week

• Spend most of your initial conversation with a new contact talking about his or her business and learn about the person’s nonbusiness interests

• Follow up with your new contact on a regular basis

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How and Where to Obtain Prospects (continued)

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• Center of influence– Sales person cultivates well-known, influential people in the

territory who are willing to supply lead information– Buying community– May never buy

• The Internet– Salesperson uses websites, e-mail, listservers, bulletin boards,

forums, roundtables, and newsgroups to secure leads– Extranets– E-selling

• Ads, direct mail, catalogs, and publicity– Salespeople use these forms of promotional activities to

generate leads– Postcard pack– Bounce-back card

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• Shows, fairs, and merchandise markets– Salespeople use these venues for lead

generation– At many tradeshows all attendees are customers– Timely follow-up of leads is critical if sales follow

a show• Seminars

– Salespeople use seminars for prospects to generate leads

– Appeal to a specialized market– Invite good prospects– Go high-quality– Be involved before, during, and after

• Lists and directories– Salespeople use secondary data sources, which

can be free or fee-based– SICs and NAICS– Purchasing lists



• Data mining and CRM systems– Salespeople use sophisticated data analysis

software and the company’s CRM system to generate leads

– Interactive databases• Cold calling

– Salesperson tries to generate leads by calling on totally unfamiliar organizations

– A blitz• Spotters

– Salesperson pays someone for lead information– Also called bird dogs

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• Telemarketing– Salesperson uses phone and/or telemarketing

staff to generate leads– Outbound vs. inbound telemarketing

• Sales letters– Salesperson writes personal letters to potential

leads– Follow up with a telephone call– Include promotional items

• Other sources of leads– Salesperson uses noncompeting salespeople,

people in his or her own firm, friends, and so on, to secure information

– Government agencies



• Prequalification

• Analyzing lead value

• Evaluating profitability of sales resulting from lead-generating activities

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Lead Qualification and Management Systems

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• Reasons for reluctance:– Spending too much time preparing– Being overly concerned with looking

successful– Being fearful of:

• Making group presentations• Appearing too pushy• Losing friends or family approval• Using the phone for prospecting

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Overcoming a Reluctance to Prospect

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– Feeling intimidated by people with prestige or power, or feeling guilt at having a career in selling

– Having a compulsive need to argue, make excuses, or blame others

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Overcoming a Reluctance to Prospect (continued)

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• Helpful activities:– Identify and evaluate excuses not to call– Engage in sales training and role-playing

activities– Make prospecting contacts with a

supporting partner or sales manager– Set specific goals for all of your

prospecting activity– Realize the economic value of most

prospecting activities

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• Helpful activities (continued):– Stop negative self-evaluation from ruling your

behavior– Remember that you are calling on prospects to

solve their needs– Control your perceptions of what prospects

might say about you, your company, or your products

– Learn and apply relaxation and stress-reducing techniques

– Recount your own prospecting successes, or those of others

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• Locating prospective customers is the first step in the sales process.

• Not all sales leads qualify as good prospects.

• Many methods can be used to locate prospects.– The best source is a satisfied customer.

• Effective prospecting requires a strong plan that hinges on developing a lead qualification and management system and overcoming reluctance to prospect.

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Summary

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Ch 7