Prospecting is one of the most difficult stages of the sales process. It’s also one of the most, if not the most, important parts of selling. You can be the best closer in the world but you will not generate sufficient sales if you lack qualified prospects. Since selling is ultimately a numbers game, more qualified prospects in your pipeline will result in more opportunities to present and generate new business. Below is a 7-step approach to successful prospecting.

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1. Identify Your Target Market
Identify market segment(s) where potential customers have a need or problem that can be successfully met by your product offerings. You must also have a deep understanding of your target market to build trust with your potential customers.

2. Identify Your Potential Prospects
Develop a list of potential prospects within your target market. Personal contacts, lead lists, library resources, and the Internet are potential sources you can use.

3. Prequalify Your Potential Prospects
Determine which potential prospects are qualified based on having a need for your product offering, sufficient monetary resources, and the authority to make a purchase decision. You may have to fully qualify prospects during the first contact.

4. Prepare a Prospecting Script
Develop a script to stay focused and consistent as you briefly illustrate how you can provide value by meeting the prospects’ needs or situation. Also incorporate responses to common objections or rebuttals you expect to encounter.

5. Determine Initial Contact Medium
Determine whether to use referrals, connections, and/or possibly mail to make your initial contact with prospects “warm” instead of “cold”.

6. Make Contact with Your Prospects
Contact your prospects and use your prospecting script to ask for the sale or generate a meeting to present your product offering.

7. Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan
Develop daily, weekly, and monthly prospecting goals and reserve time to meet these aspirations to ensure you keep a pipeline primed with qualified prospects.

By following this 7-step prospecting approach, you will develop a solid foundation to a lucrative, exciting, and rewarding sales career.