It's Activity, right? That's what the red meat guys say. Get off your tail and on the streets. Knock down some doors. Hit the phones. Leave more voicemails. The more people you hit on, the more sales you'll make.
Wrong. Seth Godin explained admirably, although in a different context, about interrupt marketing in his book Permission Marketing.
OK, then it's about Confidence, right? That's what the self improvement guys tell us. Your confidence will excite people with your pitch, and they'll go along to the Nirvana you've promised.
Wrong. It isn't about YOU. Too many sales people, even today, get sucked into the confidence trap, but it never lasts. Rejection is a powerful de-motivator.
OK, then it just has to be about Belief. Assuredly believing whoever you talk to will buy what you're selling won't make any difference. This isn't about spreading the word. It's business.
The real secret to successful prospecting is Knowledge, which, to be fair, does breed both belief and confidence, but it comes first. And that knowledge comes from research. Knowing exactly what the target needs, and why you are the vendor of choice, and how you'll make it happen, will get you into the boss's office. That's the secret to prospecting.
Please note, this is not the buyer's office, nor is it the manager's office. It's the boss' office - the CEO, the President, or the owner.
When you have a legitimate value proposition the CEO will want to know about it. Make your pitch, excite the boss with your offer. She won't make the decision. She'll pass you on to a minion to work out the details. But you'll go the next step with a stamp of approval. With the boss's tacit support the buyers will know what's expected of them, and that you can always go back up the chain of command if the going gets tough.
Successful sales prospecting isn't about generating leads. It's about creating opportunities you can win, and that takes research, and intelligence.
How you turn knowledge into a meeting with the boss is something we'll explain in another article.