By Jack Perry
How many times have you heard that selling is a numbers game? Do you believe it? Do you understand it? While many sales professionals might not like it, everyone must admit this statement is an absolute truth. Success in the sales profession directly relates to the number of prospects you choose to contact.
Now when it comes to prospecting, another truth exists: Successful prospecting is an attitude game, and if you don’t have the proper prospecting attitude, you’ll never make it. While this statement isn’t so widely known, the truth behind it is real. No matter what area of business you’re in and no matter how many clients you have or want, your attitude toward prospecting will always determine your level of success as a sales professional.
Successful prospecting is reliant upon one thing and one thing only: Your chosen attitude about prospecting. Who creates your prospecting attitude? You do.
If your attitude determines your degree of success, and your beliefs about prospecting have been entrenched in a negative channel of thought for years, how do you positively adjust your attitude and beliefs? Use the following steps to overcome your negative feelings about prospecting, and shift your attitude immediately towards success.
1. “Tough” Doesn’t Define “Prospect”
As a general rule, business professionals hate to prospect. They think prospecting is hard and involves too much work. Or they feel depressed when the prospect’s response to their presentation is negative. But the word “tough” isn’t used in any dictionary definition of the word “prospect.” In reality, the belief that prospecting is difficult exists only in your mind. You have conditioned yourself to believe the task is hard, so you create that reality for yourself.
2. Consider the Source of Your Negative Impressions
Through your years in the sales profession, you have likely been fed a steady diet of negative comments and stories concerning prospecting. But consider the individuals who tell these stories. Are they positive professionals who believe they can accomplish any goals they set? Do they treat every prospect with respect and give that prospect the information he or she needs to make an informed decision? Do they practice answering all possible objections? Do they practice answering questions and listening? Chances are they don’t. Are they truly hungry? You can bet not. They only think they are.
3. Decide that Prospecting is Important to You
Salespeople who don’t prospect have already retired – they just haven’t announced it yet. If prospecting is not important to you, then success and building your career must not be important either. Why do you prospect? If you don’t know, then get out of the sales profession.
4. Start from Scratch
Forget everything you know about prospecting. Pretend this is the first time you’ve ever heard of such a great idea! Get excited about it. You can successfully prospect with the following prospecting systems: seminars, direct mail, classes, cold calling, newspaper ads, or referrals.
Essentially every system you chose to use for prospecting will work – but the secret is YOU have to work it. You have to become an expert in at least one of these systems. Sure, a warm referral is the easiest way to make a sale, but that doesn’t mean the other systems don’t work. YOU choose your niche, your specialty. And YOU have to consistently work it.
5. Love Prospecting
Maintaining a positive attitude means loving what you do. As a sales professional, prospecting is part of the job. Jump out of bed every morning, look in the mirror, say, “I looove to prospect,” and, most important, really believe it. Just think! Every person on this planet is a possible client. The number of prospects is limitless. What could possibly be more exciting than that?
6. Ask Questions
Don’t pretend to be a mind reader, unless you’re in the circus. Remember, prospects want what they need – not necessarily what you think they need. Every person is unique and demographics can only tell you so much. Never make assumptions about what your prospects need. Ask open-ended questions that get them talking and discover the real issues they face.
7. Be Insightful
As your prospects talk, observe them for body language and clues to their level of interest. By being still and watching, you’ll learn to recognize the signs of whether someone is really interested in what you have to offer.
8. Habit Change
In converting a prospect to your services or products, you will need to change their habits…change to you from their prior source. Help your prospects make a habit change by giving them the right reasons.
9. Be Determined
Hyrum Smith, a founder and co-chairman of what is now called Franklin Covey Company, said, “Nothing can stop a determined soul.” As you prospect, consistently contact potential clients, persistently follow up, and don’t give up. Be determined when you prospect, and nothing will stop you.
10. Become a Master at Overcoming Objections
Remember, prospecting is a mindset that requires confidence and a positive attitude. Therefore you must have an answer to every possible objection. Come up with as many objections to your presentation as you can and create solutions for each of them.
11. Practice, Practice, Practice
Gerhard Gschwandtner moved to the United States, mastered English, immediately began studying the art of selling, and eventually started the unique magazine Selling Power. Gschwandtner once said the one thing he never understood was that most salespeople didn’t practice. He said, “I’m a golfer. Golfers practice and become better at their game. Why don’t more salespeople practice?”
In reality, sometimes people need a fire lit under them for inspiration to get moving. What if a friend of yours called you one day and said, “I am in front of your house and it’s on fire!” You would immediately move into rapid action. When something is really important to you, you get it done. The same occurs in sales. You have to practice every day with the intent of honing your skills and be “on fire” about it.
12. Create Constant Reminders
If you choose to implement these proven steps to improve your attitude towards prospecting, you can’t just forget about them. Write each of the previous eleven points on an index card. Three times every day, take out the index card and review these prospecting truths. Own these keys to prospecting success. Quick reminders three times per day will help you keep your attitude on track and your negativity in check.
A Positive Prospecting Attitude for the Future
If your sales numbers are low, chances are your attitude toward prospecting is negative. But if you shift your attitude to a positive channel you will see your results immediately skyrocket. When you choose to implement every day these twelve tips for improving your outlook on prospecting, then you’ll have the right attitude to reach higher sales numbers than you’ve ever imagined. Yes I looove to prospect….
Prospecting from The Respect Factor® Series
THE RESPECT FACTOR® is a trademark of Jack Perry in the United States and other countries. Used with permission. ©2009 Jack Perry. All rights reserved.
© Jack Perry, 2005
All rights reserved
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