STRATEGIC

PROSPECTING
AND PREPARING
FOR SALE
DIALOGUE
Prospecting is a very significant activity for
salespeople as it is considered as a primary means
of generating revenue. As customer turnover is
inevitable, prospecting allows salespeople to keep
new customers who replace those that are lost.
Although it is possible to increase revenue by
raising prices, it is much better to have new
prospects to grow your market share. And as we
seek more prospects, we should also prepare an
effective and efficient sales dialogue.
IMPORTAnCE AND
CHALLENGES OF
PROSPECTING
Usual reason why
fear
many salespeople do of
not like to prospect. reject
ion
 1. They may have never heard of the
salesperson’s firm.
2. They may have just bought the
salesperson’s product category,
and there is presently no need.
REASONS WHY 3. Buyers may have their own
BUYERS MAY NOT deadlines on other issues, and they
are not in the receptive mood to
WANT TO SE A see any sales people
SALESPERSON 4. Buyers are constantly getting calls
from salespeople and do not have
time to see them all.
5. Gatekeepers in any organization
screen their bosses’ calls and
sometimes are curt and even rude.
 STRATEGIC
PROSPECTING
PROCESS
 A process designed
to identify, qualify,
and prioritize sales
opportunities,
STRATEGIC whether they
represent
PROSPECTING potential new
customers or
opportunities to
generate additional
business from
existing customers.
 A representation
of trust-based
SALES sales process
FUNNEL/SALES and strategic
sales prospecting
PIPELINE process in the
form of a funnel.
 STRATEGIC
PROSPECTING
PROCESS
 Sales Leads/
Suspects –
organizations or
GENERATING individuals who
SALES LEAD might possibly
purchase the
product or service a
salesperson offers.
 Qualifying Sales Leads – the
salesperson’s act of searching
out, collecting, and analyzing
information to determine the
likelihood of the lead being a
DETERMINING good candidate for making
sale.
SALES Sales Prospect – an individual
PROSPECT or organization that has a need
for the product or service, has
the budget or financial
resources to purchase the
product or service, and has the
authority to make the
purchase decision.
 Ideal Customer
Profile – the
PRIORITIZING characteristics of a
firm’s best
SALES customers or the
PROSPECTS perfect
customer.
PREPARING
SALES
DIALOGUE
REMAINING
STAGES IN
THE TRUST -
BASED SALES
PROCESS
PROSPECTING
METHODS
COLD
CANVASING
 Cold Calling Referral
- contacting a sales lead – a name of a company or
unannounced and with little person given to the salesperson
or no information about the as a lead by a customer or even
lead. a prospect who did not buy at
this time.
Introduction
– a variation of a referral where, in addition to requesting
the names of prospects, the salesperson asks the prospect
or customer to prepare a note or letter of introduction that
can be sent to the potential customer.
NETWORKING
Centers of Influence
- well-known and influential people who can help a
salesperson prospect and gain leads.

Non - competing Salespeople

- a salesperson selling noncompeting products

Electronic Networking
- using Web sites designed to help salespeople identify and
gather information about prospects
COMPANY
SOURCES
 Company Records
information about customers in a company events where companies purchase space
database.
Advertising Inqueries
sales leads generated from company
advertising efforts
Telephone Inquries
Inbound Telemarketing – a source of
locating prospects whereby the prospect
calls the company to get information.
Outbound Telemarketing - a source of
locating prospects whereby the
salesperson contacts the prospect by
telephone.
Trade Shows
and set up booths that clearly identify each
company and its offerings and that are
staffed with salespeople who demonstrate
the products and answer questions.
Seminars
a presentation salespeople give to
generate leads and provide information to
prospective customers who are invited to
the seminar by direct mail, word of mouth,
or advertising on local television or radio.
PUBLISHED
SOURCES
 Directories
electronic or print sources that
provide contact and other
information about many different
companies or individuals.
Commercial Lead List
lists designed to focus on virtually any
type of business and/or individual; they
range from simple listings of names,
addresses, and phone numbers to more
detailed listings with a full profile of the
different entries included in the list
DEVELOPING A
STRATEGIC
PROSPECTING
PLAN
 A salesperson’s
plan for
STRATEGIC gathering
PROSPECTING qualified
PLAN prospects.
 Part of the strategic
prospecting plan that
records comprehensive
TRACKING information about the
prospect, traces the
SYSTEM prospecting methods
used, and
chronologically
archives outcomes
from any contacts with
the prospect.
 ALLOCATE STAY
TIME: POSITIVE:
Develop confidence
Establish a regular
by knowing your
daily schedule for
conducting SET GOALS: products and
believing that you
prospecting
Establish daily, offer the best
activities. solutions.
weekly, and monthly

KEEP quotas for acquiring

new prospects. EVALUATE:
RECORDS:
Track your results What is working for
from using the you? Compare results
different and use the methods
prospecting that work best for
methods. you
 GATHERING
PROSPECT
INFORMATION TO
PREPARE FOR
SALES DIALOGUE
 OBTAIN INFORMATION
01 ON THE BUYER

GATHER INFORMATION
PROCESS OF 02 ON THE PROSPECT'S
ORGANIZATION
COLLECTING KNOW OTHER POSSIBLE

INFORMATION 03 AND CREDIBLE SOURCES

OF INFORMATION

DETERMINE OTHER
04 BUYERS' INFLUENCES
 Thank you
for listening!
Do you have any questions for us?