How do you succeed at prospecting?

Prospecting can be highly interesting and detail-oriented, as against popular thinking of being something that can quickly be completed by looking at your top 10 customers. I always recommend that it is better to get to prospecting as if we were doing it for the first time (like you would for a brand new product) and then bring in past client profiles into the matrix. The reason for this is that markets are changing all the time and value chains are compressing faster than before. In a B2B setup, it is possible that a north-bound customer category is merged into a higher-order OEM player, leaving your prospect zone empty. Now you need to chase a higher-order customer whose profile may be different from what you are used to selling to.

Succeeding at prospecting leads is much like being a treasure hunter. You're digging for golden opportunities, sifting through heaps of data, and mapping out your terrain with precise targeting. The compass? Your research. The treasure map? Your strategy. Remember, not all that glitters is gold, so qualify your leads to ensure they're worth the pursuit. And, while persistence is key, no one likes a pushy pirate. Maintain a respectful, value-first approach and your treasure chest of conversions will start filling up. Happy hunting!

This is simple, and yet so many make it hard... Know your AUDIENCE. If you are pitching Telephony platforms, you don't want to talk with a Business Intelligence employee, or the Network Storage folks, you want to talk to the person in charge of Telecommunications. When prospecting, add that correct title pull them up, and start dialing, In this case you would populate TELECOM, TELCO est... Sometimes I call the wrong person intentionally, and get bounced over to the RPC. You can call the CEO's line, and the Admin will block, just ask the Admin who MR/MS CEO delegates the responsibility of the phone platform to. They will gladly tell you and more than likely transfer you too.

There are good data enrichment tools out there that you can connect with your CRM solution to help you do this efficiently. Then you can prioritise and track your activities which also will provide insights into what is working and what is not. Examples of such tools available for SuperOffice CRM include Bisnode, D&B, Echobot, Guavan, and Vaino to name a few. Tools like these also short cuts the research time needed to properly prioritise and assist your outbound engagement with them.

With a good CRM some of these can be done in the background with recommendations for additional incremental data appearing next to your box in real time. Such features are useful as you don't have to get a team member to validate or make current the data you have regarding prospects.

Working for a non-profit, our customer relationship management options are quite limited. With that being said, I personally use LinkedIn Sales Navigator as my main CRM. With Sales Navigator, one can identify and target potential customers based on specific criteria such as industry, job title, and company size. It has advanced search filters and personalized recommendations to make it easier in finding and connecting with the right prospects

Research is a significant part of prospecting. Many people stop at the "big" information about companies and individuals, but the more minor details often allow you to build rapport quickly and open up conversations.

I have found success in using Similarweb Pro. This platform provides me with insights into website traffic, audience behavior, and online marketing strategies for a specific prospect when it comes to globalization readiness and potential. It also allows me to analyze competitors, uncover trends, and identify growth opportunities within the prospects industry. This is a vital value-add in many of my discovery calls.

Demographic data allows you highly customized hooks for communications that seem to speak specifically to an individual buyer. In the 3 seconds that count, if you don't have specific details how can you make your marketing message strike a chord? Remember, when it comes to 'hook design' (as in FB ads or social media hooks), no amount of data is too much. Never say no to demographic info or profile-enhancing data.

Short, sweet, and to the point. I provide support for companies global expansion efforts by providing strategic insights, comprehensive market research, and customized solutions to navigate cultural nuances, regulatory complexities, and operational challenges.

The general impression we all have within marketing teams is that we know the value proposition for a given product family. But when it comes to compressing it all into a one-line value proposition, its complexity reveals itself. The one-line value proposition is 'I help {target client} achieve {necessary outcome} by this method {your method}. forces you to drop all the supporting paraphernalia and focus on the one method for that one outcome for that particular client base. This is easier said than done because we are so used to grouping benefits and methods and taking shelter in haziness. This one-line proposition ruthlessly enforces (if properly done) clarity and makes you take a bet on the approach or methodology.

We generally create a marketing funnel and keep our leads / prospects in the funnel.. As we go further, the funnel gets narrow and the quality of prospects become better. While we are maintaining this funnel, we can send automated campaigns to the leads and encourage them to get matured. The reach has to be consistent and not bombarding. We need to keep the feeling of the prospect very well in our mind. We can use various channels to trigger a reminder in the mind of our prospect.

Today it is much easier to choose the right channel and timing, thanks to all the analytics thrown out by social platforms. In fact, the analytics are so detailed and threadbare that you need to know which numbers to pick. Having said that, in my experience, it is important to do it to get it right -and be able to tweak, change, alter, and try again to get an optimal outcome. And be prepared for surprises - despite your best intent and the perfect analytics, sometimes the click rate for an email campaign can suddenly drop for no apparent reason.

Find a value-add on how you can support even if the prospect isn't ready to move forward. Effective prospect nurturing fosters lasting relationships, maximizes conversion rates, and drives sustainable business growth by consistently delivering value and building trust. Trust is indispensable.

Look at your own buyer psychology and apply it to your prospects. Would you buy something, no matter how attractive the deal, at the first instance? Probably not. Similarly, your prospects, even if they represent a business will look around, investigate, get multiple opinions, and ask for social proof before calling you or clicking that button for more information. This requires patience and a sustained nurturing philosophy within the marketing team. Develop a system that includes sequential email pursual so much of these can be automated and gently urges the prospect to engage.

Want to learn more? Here's 10 proven prospecting strategies for sales professionals: https://www.superoffice.com/blog/prospecting/