The Non-Negotiables of Professional Prospecting

First things first, these are the table stakes for professional prospecting. They often get taken for granted, but I’ve been doing this long enough to know that you need to be reminded of them. You can’t afford to miss any of these if you expect your best results. 

Define (and limit) your target list

There are only so many prospects that you can reasonably approach and follow through with. You may have a target list of 1000, but don’t just start at the top and work your way through the bottom before making a second pass. Segment your list into reasonable batches so that you can reach out to everybody more than once a week. You need to cast a wide net while still being able to create some momentum and build familiarity.

Know your decision makers

Before you reach out into any potential account, you need to know who you should be talking to. This seems like an easy one, but I see mistakes being made constantly. I won’t belabor this point, but suffice it to say it’s important that you don’t make assumptions. Questions about who will be involved in the decision process are easily asked (and usually answered) early in the sales process.

Set goals

This one’s as simple as it sounds. Give yourself targets to hit, and push yourself to get there. 

Block time

If something is important enough to do, it’s worth creating space on your calendar for it. What isn’t planned for usually isn’t consistently done, and as my friend Mike Weinberg likes to say, “Nobody defaults to prospecting mode.” It doesn’t always need to be first thing in the morning, but professional prospectors have time set aside every day of the week to fill their pipeline.

Think about what you’re trying to accomplish

What’s the end goal? What are you ultimately trying to achieve? What is your why? 

Keeping the big picture in mind will help you with perspective when the going gets tough (and from time to time, it will). Remember the results your solution creates. Remember the people you’re working to help. Remember the personal goals and responsibilities you have. 

Measure what matters

I don’t care how many calls a day you make or emails you send. None of that matters unless you can book sales meetings. Quite frankly, even the number of meetings you book is irrelevant if they’re not qualified and don’t lead to deals. 

Selling cannot be simply reduced to a numbers game. There’s more to it than that, and I can’t give. You some rule of thumb that will tell you if you’re doing a good job or not. You need to understand your own sales process, identify the levers and the triggers in it that will predictably lead to revenue, and count whatever those activities are. For me, it’s new introductions, scheduled time on their calendar, and a meaningful conversation with them about how I might be able to help. With enough of those activities, revenue always follows, even if I can’t forecast the exact number right away. 

Keep your swagger

I mentioned above that the going will get rough from time to time. It happens to all of us. This is where that perspective comes in. You need to be willing to lean into adversity, and identify the opportunity in every obstacle.

When something doesn’t go your way, or doesn’t go the way you expected it to, it’s almost always because there’s a lesson you need to learn. Find what that is and learn it. Then tap back into your inner rock star and do the great work that only you are able to do.

Download the 8 Reasons Your Team Isn’t Creating More Opportunities white paper at https://jeffbajorek.com/8reasons

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