Mark Hunter's Blog, page 18

3 Critical Assets Most Salespeople Overlook

There are three critical assets most salespeople overlook: time, mind, and network. 

If you get these three things right, it’s amazing what can happen in terms of your success in sales. And really, in any area or field, both professionally and personally.

Want to hear more from Mark? Listen to this episode: 5 Ways to Take Your Sales to the Next Level wherever you stream podcasts. Or, watch it here. Subscribe to The Sales Hunter Podcast so you never miss a future episode!

Time

Why is it that some people have the ability to just get more done in a day? Because these people have a seize the moment mentality. That means when they have tasks that are five minute pieces, or one hour tasks, they understand the things they need to get done today. In fact, they have an ability to compartmentalize them. 

Speaking of seize the moment, you may be between a couple of meetings and you have five minutes. That’s when they throw in one of those five minute tasks–maybe a phone call, or responding to an email. 

They also know their peak time. What’s your peak time of the day in terms of your best ability to get things done? Knowing this allows you to power up, as well as help you in powering down. 

via NEOSTARTER on GIPHY

I invite you to have a one minute rule. You see, here’s what drives me crazy. People will say, “Wow, let me just take a few minutes to get this done.” And 30 minutes later, they’re still working on it. Even 45 minutes later, they’re still working on it. What happens is we waste so much time starting and stopping an activity. 

That’s why I practice the one minute rule. Sure, I may have an interruption, but I don’t follow through with it now unless I know I can get it done in less than a minute. Otherwise, it has to wait so I don’t get distracted. 

via ABC Network on GIPHYMind

What are the websites that you spend time on during the day? 

The reason I bring this up is because your brain remains in the moment with the website long after you’ve left it. It’s always amazing how you watch a television show or you go on a website and your brain keeps thinking about that after the fact. You see, here’s the whole thing, your brain is a library. Stuff comes in and it asks itself, where do we put this? Where do we go with this? So I need to be careful of what I’m putting into that brain.

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How about, am I visual or auditory? Do you retain the spoken word or the written word better? Learn these things, and that’s what you want to maximize. 

Organizing your brain is no different than your garage or your basement. What are you keeping around that you should junk? How many times have you pulled into your garage and you see stuff and you think, “Ah, I need to do something with that, I never use it.” It’s the same thing with your mind–there’s stuff in your mind that’s just cluttering it up.

Get rid of that clutter and you’ll be more focused. 

Network

Your mother was right when she said, “Be careful of who you hang around with at school.” It’s true, we do become the sum of the five people we associate with the most. So if your mother never told you, I sure will: be careful who you associate with.

via Laff on GIPHY

Your network is either an asset or a liability.  Careful, your network could be an asset, but you may have people in your network who are liabilities and you got to say, “Hey, I need to be prepared to let those people go.” 

Read these 7 Ways to Upgrade Your Network

 

Check back each week, as I’m going to go deeper on time, mind, and network over the next three weeks. I’ll break down each one right here on the blog so that you can be more successful. 

 

This week on The Sales Hunter Podcast… We all have our strengths and our weaknesses. The mindset, however, is often what separates top performers from the pack of average. 

You can’t rest on what you did yesterday. What are you doing to keep moving forward? 

 Mark welcomes Donald Kelly, The Sales Evangelist to share how to make incremental improvements and have a mindset for success. Available on Thursday morning! 

Silence is only a moment in time. Silence can be broken when you provide a prospect with a reason to break it. 

Gain valuable insights from this month’s masterclass: Stop Getting Ghosted where I’ll teach you best practices for before, during, and after communicating with prospects. 

I’ll share my techniques for avoiding radio silence, and the importance of your cadence and what means of communication you use, as well as how to build relationships.

Find out more and enroll now here. You owe it to your customers to follow up with them…let’s do it well!

A boost of sales knowledge, right to your inbox. Is your sales team getting the regular sales boost they need?

Check out Weekly Sales Kickoff. Your team receives fresh sales insights each week and the motivation to make it happen. There’s no better tool for your sales team to receive each Monday morning.

Reach out to me at mark@thesaleshunter.com, let’s talk and your team will soon be on their way to upping their sales.

Copyright 2022, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of  A Mind for Sales  and  High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results .

The post 3 Critical Assets Most Salespeople Overlook first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

5 Things Salespeople Should Never Forget

Aren’t you forgetting something? 

There are a few things I often see salespeople forget when prospecting. 

When it comes to the basics, we can’t get sloppy. Are you including these elements when prospecting?

If you want to prospect effectively, follow these tips. 

For in-depth training on the most important prospecting skills from the comfort of your home office–or anywhere–check out my Masterclass offerings at The Sales Hunter University. 

1. Awareness

Is the customer waking up in the morning and saying, “Oh man, I hope Mark Hunter calls me today?” No, my mother doesn’t even do that. 

We have to be able to create awareness. You may work for HP, or Coca-Cola. Yes, people recognize your company name, but they don’t recognize you.

That’s why awareness is a critical aspect, and why many cold calling strategies go awry–because they don’t have an ability to create it. 

via Paramount+ on GIPHY2. Relationship

Imagine we’re having a conversation for the first time, and I try to take you all the way to the close. It’s probably not going to be a very smooth close. I’d venture to say it’s not going to be an optimized close for the customer or for me either, because there’s no relationship there.

Of course, this is different between a big company and a small company. However, within a big company, too many salespeople rely on the relationship, the attitude or the beliefs that the customer has towards the big company. But, they’re dealing with you. You have to be able to create that relationship.

3. (De)Education

Now comes time to educate–or perhaps de-educate. 

Many times you’re dealing with the customer’s preconceived notions. They’ve already done their homework, or they’ve been buying from your competitor and they have all these ideas. Not all of them are correct, true or helpful. 

After I de-educate, now I can finally be in a position to educate. Word to the wise: if I try to educate before I de-educate, it goes right over their head. 

via EditingAndLayout on GIPHY4. Understanding the need and the validation. 

This is where the proposal gets on the table. See, I’ve gone through these other pieces such as establishing the relationship, growing in awareness, and education. Now, I can seek to further understand the need, scope it out, and validate the need.

I can actually begin to do this in the prospecting phase, because if I don’t understand what your need is, and I don’t understand how you’re going to validate if you’re going to make a purchase or not, why am I dealing with you?

5. Decision. 

I’ve got to understand their decision-making process. This ensures I get in contact with the right people, not just some gatekeeper or lower-level manager. Ask questions such as:

What is the criteria you’re going to use to make your final decision? 

How have you decided who to go with in the past?

You might even find out who your competition is from their answers!

I recommend you read these 5 Essentials Before You Negotiate for more tips. 

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This week on The Sales Hunter Podcast… Every company has their strategy to get you to discount your price.

Whether they look for a quick price quote, or take advantage of a weak presentation, you’ve got to be ready.

What should you say if a customer calls you up for a quick price quote?

How can you clearly communicate urgency to a customer who doesn’t see it yet?

What’s your confidence level with regards to price?

Mark shares his top strategies for getting full price….it’s time to quit discounting! Listen in Thursday morning when this new episode drops. 

Is your sales team getting the regular sales boost they need?

Check out Weekly Sales Kickoff. Your team receives fresh sales insights each week and the motivation to make it happen. There’s no better tool for your sales team to receive each Monday morning.

Reach out to me at mark@thesaleshunter.com, let’s talk and your team will soon be on their way to upping their sales.

I know that The Sales Hunter University has helped so many earn more money, feel more confident, and make bigger impacts. We’ve seen our platform grow to achieve international attention and accolades. 

To celebrate the great achievements of our members, and our platform, TSHU will be growing in new and exciting ways. In addition to the great content already available (i.e. coaching sessions, masterclasses, the sales vault of training videos) be on the lookout for new masterclass offerings, as well as flash courses, mini-masterclasses, and live workshops. 

Where can you grow today? See how at https://learn.thesaleshunter.com 

 

 

 

Copyright 2022, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of  A Mind for Sales  and  High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results .

The post 5 Things Salespeople Should Never Forget first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

5 Essentials for Before You Negotiate

Before you negotiate, there are five things you need to know. 

Too many times salespeople race to negotiate, because they think in negotiating with the customer sooner, they’ll be able to close the deal quicker. More often than not, this is absolutely not the case. 

Don’t run the risk of giving away the farm–or coming up empty–answer these five questions first.

1. Does the customer have a clear need?

People will have meetings with you, or will have conversations with you, but do they have a clear need? It can’t just be a need that you understand, but one that they understand, too. Use the prospecting phase to articulate both.

I see customers calling people to ask, “Hey, what’s your price on this?” And it’s really just an itch. They have an idea, and they’ll only go in and buy it if it’s dirt cheap. Suddenly, you jump into negotiating with them. 

It’s similar to when you go shopping and there are things you need to get.  But there are other things that I really don’t need to get, but if the price is so cheap, I’ll go ahead and buy it. To me, that’s not selling. That’s giving away the farm. 

2. Is my solution viable? 

If my solution’s not viable to help them address that clear need, why am I talking to them? The only exception to this rule is if you’re going to refer them to someone. 

But, if I’m trying to wiggle and shake and somehow get my solution to fit, I’m either going to wind up overcommitting and creating expectations that I can’t deliver on, giving away too much, or a combination of both. 

Don’t try to put a square peg a round hole. 

via GIPHY

Learn more about Selling a Product v.s. Selling a Solution in this episode of The Sales Hunter Podcast with Jeff Bajorek or listen anywhere you stream podcasts.

3. Am I talking to the decision maker?

This happened to me the other day. A person called me up, we went through the process, and they said, “Well, what’s your fee?” And I said, “I’m not really in a position to share that info because I don’t understand what your need is.” 

And I said, “Why are you asking?” So of course they responded, “Well, my boss wanted me to get a price.” See, that person was not the decision maker. 

via The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on GIPHY

I find salespeople having conversations with the gatekeeper. Or maybe you’re talking to a lower-level person who doesn’t understand the budget. Eventually you’re going to negotiate an entire deal, and they’re going to tell you, “Ok, I’ve got to take this to my boss.” Now what have you just wasted your time on? You wind up having to negotiate all over again.

I need to be sure I’m dealing with the decision-maker. 

4. Is there a level of urgency?

It’s true, you can understand the customer has a clear need, have a viable solution, be talking to the decision maker–but if there’s not urgency on their part to make a decision, I’m negotiating in vain. 

For example, you could have all the boxes checked, but they have an existing contract in place that runs for another year. And all they’re really doing is trying to get things in place to renegotiate with their existing supplier. 

Or it could be they have a clear need. But you know what? Rome’s on fire, and they need to take care of that fire in Rome before they deal with you. That’s a much bigger issue, and it trumps your sale.

If it’s not their number one or number two priority, customers aren’t dealing with it. You’ve got to understand their level of urgency, which means they already have it, or you’ve got to help them see it. 

via Dream Stream on GIPHY

That means you’ve got to be talking far enough downstream. In other words, you should be talking about how your solution is going to help them achieve X, Y, Z, which is going to allow them to address one of their key urgent needs.

5. What are their other options?

I need to know whether or not they’re really interested in closing, or if they’re just trying to get a price from me to negotiate a better deal with somebody else. They may even be considering making no decision at all. Find out about your competition by asking questions like:

What’s your process for making a decision?

How have you decided who to go with or not to go with before?

They might say, “Oh, we always interview 4 people, we talk to 3 people, we get multiple bids…” 

Remember, the number one person we go up against isn’t even a person. It’s indecision.

 Click here to find out how to defeat the competition you can’t see —indecision!

via CBC on GIPHY

Sales is emotional. Negotiating is really emotional. So we begin to let our emotions take control and we make assumptions. On each of these five questions, you have to be very clear and articulate that you get a specific answer. 

That means you’ve heard them discuss it twice with you, and you’ve asked them questions about it and they’ve come back and their answers have been the same thing. Do not allow any of the answers to these five questions be emotionally driven or assumptive. Get clear answers before moving forward. 

 

This week on The Sales Hunter Podcast… Are great salespeople born or built?

Developing motivation, authenticity, and confidence is the responsibility of any high-performing sales professional…but where does it come from? 

Some qualities of great salespeople might be innate, but our guest Darrell Amy together with Mark explore areas where any sales professional can grow themselves. 

Tune in every Thursday, and subscribe here! 

Sure, you could take one masterclass from our award-winning, on-demand sales training. Better yet, you could become a member of The Sales Hunter University and get 12 (and counting!)

Come see what TSHU has to offer you.

 

 

 

Copyright 2022, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of  A Mind for Sales  and  High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results .

The post 5 Essentials for Before You Negotiate first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

10 Best Practices for Prospecting

 Prospecting can be tough. 

We can do hard things. Let me give you 10 best practices that if you put them into play, I guarantee it will up your game. 

Your one-stop-shop for training in every area of sales–including prospecting– is The Sales Hunter University. Click here to find out why we were named a Top Online Sales Training two years in a row.

1. Schedule regular time. 

You’re never going to be successful prospecting unless you schedule–and honor–regular prospecting time. Qualified customers don’t just fall into our laps. 

Too many times, people wish they could be better at prospecting, but they’re not willing to put the time in to do it. 

We make the time for the things that are important to us. Is making your number (or success way beyond that) important to you? Then make the time to prospect. 

Learn these 5 Ways to Create More Time for Selling

2. Measure CFT. 

CFT is customer facing time. CFT is all about how much time you’re spending in front of your customer? 

This is not thinking about a customer, nor is it preparing to prospect. This is actually being on the phone, actively exchanging emails, or perhaps on a Zoom call.

You want to measure CFT over a period of time, because you want to be increasing that level. You’ll never be able to close what you don’t start. And you’re not going to have anything to close unless you’re having conversations with customers. Measuring CFT is just a great way to keep track of that. 

via The Grinder on GIPHY3. Focus on incremental opportunities. 

Key word is incremental. It’s so easy to focus on repeat business, or business that’s just flowing in. That’s customer service. That’s not prospecting.

Prospecting is about creating incremental opportunities. That means you’re uncovering new customers. Or, you’re uncovering new ways that you can help an existing customer. For example, maybe it’s an existing customer, but you’re working with a new division. 

4. Follow-up gets the sale. 

Nothing about prospecting is one and done. Prospecting is about staying engaged to allow you to qualify the prospect to then move them into that sales stage.

Follow-up gets the sale, and that means a lot of repetition.

Is your sales strategy recession-proof? Learn from Mark and Dr. Mary C. Kelly in this episode of The Sales Hunter Podcast. 

5. Focus on your ICP. 

ICP, ideal customer profile. Prospecting anybody and everybody just because they download an ebook or they look at something isn’t the right path. 

This means you’ve got to have gates. You’ve got to have a measuring process to be able to understand, do they fit my ideal customer profile? And if they don’t, I don’t have time for them.

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty of your ideal prospect. Take my Ideal Customer Profile Masterclass available now at The Sales Hunter University. 

6. Use every medium. 

It’s not just using email. Who cares about another email? Am I using voicemail? Am I using video? What about social media? Have you tried using text? 

Of course, not every medium is right for every person, but you have to be comfortable and prepared to use every one, because at the end of the day, it’s not what’s comfortable to you. It’s what’s relevant and appropriate for the other person–especially after we break through, have that initial conversation and we’re in the follow up.

You’ve got to be communicating to them in their language, their medium.

via D2illustrate on GIPHY7. Qualify fast. 

Your goal is to spend more time with fewer prospects. 

I need to be prepared to ask tough questions right out of the shoot.

“Well, I don’t want to ask tough questions because I may disqualify them too soon.” 

Well, what’s the problem with disqualifying too soon if you’re never going to get them to the close? I am going to work to see if there’s a viable option here, but I’m not going to just chase this forever and ever just because they respond to my message. That’s how you plug up your pipeline. You don’t want a sewer pipe, your sales pipeline should be a water tap.

8. Don’t start what you can’t finish. 

Sometimes, salespeople get desperate. So they load a hundred leads into their CRM system. You can’t manage a hundred leads. Instead, you have to stay extremely tight because it may take you 10, 15, 20 calls to get back in touch with them. It may take you 10, 20 calls and calling six different people in that company just to get one to respond to you. 

I need to have room in there to be able to do the repetitive activities all the way through. 

I’m working with this salesperson right now who only puts five new prospects into his pipeline a day. That’s it. But then he works them through using a 30-day cadence. For his particular product and buying cycle, that works. You may have a 90 day buying cycle. You may have a six month buying cycle. But don’t start what you can finish.

9. Measure your activity. 

Prospecting is not about the results you get. Whoa, what? 

It’s true. Prospecting is not about the results you get. That’s just closing the sale. That’s making your quota. Prospecting is about the activity. 

Let me explain. It takes activity to get people into my pipeline before I can close them. How many calls did I make today? How many conversations did I have? If you measure your results, you’re more likely to get discouraged. Instead, try measuring your activity, and I guarantee you’ll be more successful.

via GIPHY News on GIPHY10. Check your attitude and motivation. 

Sales is an emotional game.

And if your attitude and your motivation are not in the right place, guess what? You’re not going to be successful. I guarantee it. It will not happen.

Focus on the outcome you can create, knowing that you can help others see and achieve what they didn’t think was possible. Then, remember that it’s going to take a lot of activity. 

 

This week on The Sales Hunter Podcast… Prospects need and deserve a relationship with a sales professional that will:-ask the right questions-dig in if they need to-show up in that authentic, strong, and personal way. 

Do you feel like a professional equal to your prospects?

Are you afraid to ask tough questions….if so, why?

Join Mark and his guest, Liz Wendling as they discuss how to lower the temperature in the room, make a customer feel comfortable, and ask relevant questions. 

New episodes every Thursday! Subscribe to The Sales Hunter Podcast today. 

 

If you could spend time with the best sales experts in the world, would you do it?  Of course you would! 

I’m looking forward to seeing you at OutBound in September.  Whether you choose to attend in-person or virtually, the learning is going to be exceptional.   

When you attend OutBound you’ll learn from experts like Anthony Iannarino, Meridith Elliott Powell, Jeb Blount, Colleen Francis, Victor Antonio and many more. To get the best learning and to maximize your value, I strongly suggest you get the Elite Pass, this gets you full access both during the event as well as access following the event to rewatch sessions at your own pace.

That’s right:

36 Top Speakers

75 Sessions

50 Hours of Pure Sales Training

1000 Top Sales Pros Networking

Use my code Mark10 to get 10% off your ticket. 

 

 

 

Copyright 2022, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of  A Mind for Sales  and  High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results .

The post 10 Best Practices for Prospecting first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

10 Pro Tips to Succeed in Sales

If you’re reading this right now, I already know you want to be successful in sales. You’ve come to the right place, but what will you do with what you learn here?

Don’t just read and forget. Take notes. Share with a colleague!

Make a plan for how you’ll use these 10 Pro Tips this week. Then, check out The Sales Hunter University to see opportunities to strengthen your weaknesses. I’ve got over a dozen masterclasses to choose from. 

1. Know your ICP. 

What’s your ICP? Ideal Customer Profile. If you don’t know who you can serve best, you’re in trouble. Because you’re not going to be consistently successful. 

You could be occasionally successful. A blind squirrel will find an occasional acorn. But it’s not going to happen long-term. 

Knowing your ideal customer profile makes you better prepared, and sets you up for success from the beginning. 

Take my ICP Masterclass and I’ll help you identify every detail of your perfect customer, and how to best reach them. Learn more at the link.

2. Get focused. 

This means get focused on that ideal customer and don’t allow yourself to get caught up with shiny objects. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted. 

You have to stay absolutely focused on selling and making it happen.

via Josephina on GIPHY3. Stick to your sales process.

Oftentimes salespeople run into the slightest problem, and then they throw the baby out with the bath water and start all over again. Don’t do that. Stick to your process.

 I have found time and time again, when you stick to your process, you’ll achieve results. But more importantly, you have to stick to your process long enough to understand if it’s viable. Just doing it for a week or two doesn’t mean anything. You have to stick with it methodically in order to understand what elements might need to be changed. Not the whole thing–just little parts.

4. Maximize your time. 

Your time is your greatest asset. Use it.

Too many times what happens is salespeople spend all their time getting ready to sell, but they never get around to selling. They spend all their time chasing things that really make no difference, such as emails.

Here’s a simple rule: If it’s not producing revenue for you or helping you achieve one of your goals, why are you doing it? 

5. Use a coach or mentor. 

You look at any top performing individual in any sport. They have multiple coaches. If you want to succeed in sales, you need a coach. 

If you need a coach, reach out to me. I’d be happy to point you in the right direction of who to talk to–maybe you fit with me. 

Let’s have that conversation, because to succeed in sales, you need a coach. You need a mentor.

6. Build your prospecting muscle. 

Prospecting is something that doesn’t come naturally to 95% of all people.  You have to get in the groove and you have to work it. You have to exercise that prospecting muscle. 

It’s really just like going to the gym. You can’t get in shape by going to the gym once every three weeks. And yet that’s what people think when they prospect. And then they wonder why they’re not successful. 

via GQ on GIPHY7. Check your attitude. 

Sales is an emotional business. And if you have a bad attitude, it’s amazing what will not happen. 

It’s pretty simple. Your attitude sets your mind straight so you listen better. You ask better questions. In fact, you uncover so many more things than the person who has the negative attitude.

Rejection got you down? Watch this podcast about How to Find Value in Rejection to change your mindset. 

8. Be goal driven. 

Not only do top performing salespeople have goals, but they review them every day.. Every morning, make it a habit that you review your goals. 

You have to inspect what you expect. And if you’re not willing to be focused on your goals and what it’s going to take to achieve them, how do you ever expect to achieve them?

9. Dump the baggage. 

There are people in your life and things that you’re doing that you’ve got to get rid of. You’ve got to get them out so you can be focused.

Everything I’ve been talking about up to now really means one thing: it’s controlling your time and your mind. And it means you need to get a lot of other stuff out. 

via GIPHY10. Leverage your assets. 

You have far more assets than you realize. There are peers out there you can connect with. There are great customers as well. Look for the positive. 

As good a salesperson as you might be, think about how much more successful you’d be with customers referring to you. Or a network of people referring to you. That’s what it’s all about. 

Check out these 10 Tips to Get More Referrals

 

This week on The Sales Hunter Podcast…

You’ve found a great prospect. You have a conversation with them and it seems to be really promising! But every phone call afterward, every email, every contact goes unanswered. You’ve been ghosted–now what?

It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not interested, or that they’re not going to buy. Thursday morning Mark brings a solo show to teach you the four key questions salespeople must ask themselves before proceeding with a prospect.

It’s How to Avoid Radio Silence…and Prospect Better Today…join us every Thursday for a new episode. Subscribe to be reminded when each new episode drops!

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2022, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of  A Mind for Sales  and  High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results .

The post 10 Pro Tips to Succeed in Sales first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

The Ultimate Prospecting Guidelines: Part 5

My whole mission is to help you prospect effectively.

Because sales is without a doubt the greatest profession, but you’ve got to master prospecting. 

This is the last installment of this five-part series on 50 Prospecting truths. Remember, you can download the whole ebook here.

41. Prospecting is an omnichannel activity. 

What does this mean? It’s not just email, the telephone or social media. Prospecting means using everything in a deliberate manner. It’s not just about throwing out some emails because you don’t want to make phone calls. 

No, to be successful you need to develop a deliberate cadence. The only people who win in prospecting are those that have one.

42. Be ruthless in your follow-through.

The sale is made in the follow-up, but also in the follow-through. Your objective is to spend time with customers. That’s why you need to qualify early. 

I want to have fewer prospects that I can spend more time with, but I’m going to follow through. I’ve had many prospects–that I knew I could help–that I had to reach out to 10, 15 and 20 times.

I have one right now that I am very focused on. I have probably contacted them about 15 times, and I’m not giving up because I know I can help this person. We’ve had a couple conversations along the way and I’ve been creating value, but I’m going to keep going until I close the deal.

via Saturday Night Live on GIPHY43. The only thing holding you back from success in sales is YOU.

It’s not what you sell. I hear people say, “Well, if I just had something meaningful to sell, I could be successful.”  That’s not the case. 

What you sell is irrelevant. It’s why you sell– to help others see and achieve what they didn’t think was possible. I have to be dialed in on you, my customer, and the outcomes you need to achieve. When I am, then I’m going to be successful.

It’s not what you sell. It’s not the tools you have. It’s about the outcomes YOU provide.

44. Know the difference between prospects and suspects. 

Just because somebody returns your phone call doesn’t make them a prospect. 

They have to earn the right to be a prospect because up to that point in time, they’re just a suspect. What I want to do is turn them into meaningful customers.

I can’t afford to spend time with suspects. If you can’t provide me with a critical need that you have, or an outcome you’re looking for, then guess what? I don’t have time to spend with you. If you can’t share a little bit of what your decision making criteria is with me, what you’re trying to do, et cetera, I don’t have time for you either. 

via GIPHY45. The most valuable asset you have is your time.

Again, it’s not what you sell, or your territory. It’s not your pricing or your customer either. No, it’s your time. That’s your most valuable asset because once today is gone, you never get it back. 

Make sure you’re using it wisely and effectively.

Check out these 6 Great Ways Salespeople Master Their Time. 

46. Who you spend prospecting now is who you will close next quarter. 

When salespeople say, “I missed my number,”  the first question I ask them is, “How much did you prospect?”

There are ebbs and flows, and it’s in direct relationship to the level of time we’re prospecting. 

47. Prospecting is not an activity, it’s a lifestyle. 

I love prospecting. If I know I can help you, I have an obligation to reach out to you. 

I know that I can help my customers see and achieve what they didn’t think possible. Helping people is my lifestyle.

via GIPHY48. Prospecting drives the economy. 

Prospecting fuels sales. Sales fuels business. Business drives the economy. The better you are at prospecting, the better the economy goes. 

No business stays in business without customers and customers don’t just walk to the front door. You have to go out and find them. That’s what prospecting is all about. At the end of the day, the economy’s driven by business, right? 

49. Prospecting is freedom because when you prospect you have a full pipeline. 

When you have a full pipeline, it’s amazing how flexible you are. It’s amazing what you can do. 

A full pipeline means you get to control your destiny and your time. 

via GIPHY50. Never use the excuse of not having a tool as the reason you’re not good at prospecting. 

I hear people say, “Well, if only we had this system, if only we had this app.” Those are fine, but at the end of the day, it’s you. 

You are the powerhouse.

 

This week on The Sales Hunter Podcast… What can a Sales Leader do when they have a great idea, but all they hear is, “We can’t do that!”

Our guest Steven Rosen is an expert in training sales leaders to be bold and prepared to present their big ideas with all of the emotion that salespeople are good at, plus all of the logic that the boardroom likes.

This Thursday’s episode is a must-listen for sales leaders and sales managers alike. Find this new episode and much more wherever you stream podcasts. 

A career in sales can be incredibly rewarding. The difference is setting mindset and momentum habits. 

Join Mark Hunter, the Sales Hunter for a free webinar on Thursday, August 11th 2 PM ET and discover why your mind drives your success.

There’s still time to sign up!

Daily Habits and Practical Strategies Your Team Needs to Succeed…yes please!

Register by clicking here. 

There’s still time to register for OutBound Conference!

You don’t want to miss this opportunity for personal and professional growth…plus amazing networking!

Learn more at https://outboundconference.com 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2022, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of  A Mind for Sales  and  High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results .

The post The Ultimate Prospecting Guidelines: Part 5 first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

The Ultimate Prospecting Guidelines: Part 4

Prospecting is not for the lazy or timid. Prospecting is for the smart and bold.

The number one reason why salespeople don’t cut it in sales is because they failed to prospect.

I don’t want that to be you! I desire great selling for you, and that starts with great prospecting.

Today I bring you #31-40 of our 50 Prospecting Truths. Remember, you can always see Parts One , Two , and Three . Or download the ebook here.

31. Bring new value with each message. 

The days of saying, “Just checking in,” or “I wanted to bounce this to the top of your email list,” or “Let me send this to you again because you didn’t get it,” are over. You know what that tells me? You’re lazy. 

Every message I deliver has to be new. Because if the person didn’t think it was worthy of responding to, why should they respond? So don’t send the same thing twice. 

Each message must bring new value. It starts with understanding the outcomes you can create. 

32. Your goal with an online connection is to create an offline conversation.

Let’s say you connect with somebody on LinkedIn, and they’re a target customer. Your whole objective is ultimately to get them to an offline conversation.

That’s how I bring value to the customer. It isn’t just posting a comment or liking a post. Take the conversation to the next level.

via Parks and Recreation on GIPHY33. There’s always time to make one more call.

Oftentimes salespeople overthink what they want to say, or what they want to do. Just pick up the phone and make the call. There’s always time to make one more phone call. 

I have found some of the best prospecting calls I’ve had are the ones I make late in the afternoon or late evening. There’s no longer a gatekeeper there and they’re beginning to chill out. Also, the prospect is impressed because you know what? They’re working and they see you’re working too. That’s why I’ve always said Friday afternoons are the absolute best time to prospect.

34. Don’t hide behind email. 

If I need to follow up with them, don’t just think, I’m going to fire them another email! Don’t. Pick up the phone. 

Email is one prospecting tool, but it’s not your primary prospecting tool.

via GIPHY35. When in doubt, pick up the phone and make the call. 

I had this happen to me yesterday. I was going to make some prospecting calls and I got thinking, Aaah, should I? And just picked up the phone, and made the call. Now they weren’t there, so I left a voicemail and then I followed up with an email right after that. But, at least I tried. 

Pick up the phone. You might be amazed at what happens. Don’t stop at the Aaah, should I?

36. You’ll learn more in one short phone call than you will in five emails. 

“I’m only going to connect with them by way of email,” is a trap. And even if you do start connecting with them, it’s going to take you a string of emails over the course of a week or two to get any information. 

In a two-minute phone call I can exchange far more information. That’s powerful.

via GIPHY37. Never allow the need for more research to get in the way of making a call. 

The number one excuse is, “I didn’t have a chance to prospect today because I was still researching the customers I want to call.” 

Researching is an excuse for laziness. Research is an excuse for being scared to make the call. Don’t you want to grow your business? I’m going to do research, but it’s only going to take me 20 or 30 seconds at most, if not 10 seconds, and boom, then I’m going to make the call.

38. Each minute spent on social media has to earn its way.

Ensuring that the time you spend on social media earns its way means not cutting into something else.

I definitely don’t want to dedicate any time to social media during my most productive parts of the day. That’s my prime time!

You can easily sit there and spend hours and hours on social media. You have to look at your most valuable asset: your time. If you’re not protecting your time, you’re in trouble. I go on social media and 30 minutes later I’m still wandering through social media. Uh oh.

One technique I use is I might connect three or four minutes before I have a phone call, because then I know I have to get off. It creates a hard stop so I can’t dwell on it.

39. You can’t take clicks and likes to the bank. 

“I’m just going to post so much content that people will beat a path to my door. Look at all the likes. Look at all the clicks–and the shares!”

I don’t know where you bank, but I can’t drive up to my bank’s drive-through window and say, “Hey, I got 500 likes. or I want to deposit 25 shares.” 

via Yevbel on GIPHY

Social media has to have a strategy. It’s got to be targeted.

40. Provide just enough information, but not too much. 

Your goal with email is to provide just enough information to interest them but not enough to allow them to make a decision. 

I often see a prospecting email where they literally throw the kitchen sink at you, and you have the ability to literally find out everything you want and know because they’ve got half a dozen hyperlinks in there, plus a PDF. 

What’s the objective of a prospecting email? To gain a conversation, unless you’re in a really simple sale, like selling pencils. I want to give you just enough information to create a level of interest to say, “Hey, I need to talk with Mark.” 

They may not call you, fine, but you’re going to create a level of interest that combines with your other communications. And sometime when I do call, you’re actually going to answer the phone.

 

This week on The Sales Hunter Podcast… We welcome Andrea Waltz, author of Go for the No to teach us about reprogramming our mindset to find value in rejection. 

The possibility of a ‘No’ doesn’t have to hold you back, and can even be a motivator!

Find out how on Thursday morning’s episode. 

The Sales Hunter University brings award-winning sales training to your (home) office.

It’s our goal to do one thing, to deliver insights that are going to help you be successful. 

Visit https://www.learn.thesaleshunter.com to choose a Masterclass. Or become a member and get them all. 

You don’t want to miss OutBound Conference this year!

If you’ve never been before, I invite you to join me at OutBound this September.

There’s a reason sales professionals keep coming back. It’s the amazing content, it’s the energizing atmosphere, it’s the networking with bright individuals such as yourself.

Use my code Mark10 for 10% off your ticket. 

Copyright 2022, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of  A Mind for Sales  and  High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results .

The post The Ultimate Prospecting Guidelines: Part 4 first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

The Ultimate Prospecting Guidelines: Part 3

Sales is all about having the commitment to serve and the passion to sell.

This 50 Prospecting Truths series is to reignite your passion for prospecting–and that means helping people and solving problems. 

I invite you to read Truths #21-30, reflect, and see what you can apply this week. 

Want to read Truths #1-10? Click here. 

Want to read Truths #11-20? Click here. 

21. Know what your goal is before making contact. 

It’s true, some salespeople can over-prepare. What I’m talking about here is, what’s your goal? Do I want to get the next step? Do I want to get one piece of information? Or to verify who it is I’m talking to? 

If you don’t have a goal, how do you know if you’ve achieved anything? You don’t. Prospecting is difficult as it is. I’d better have a goal, so I know when I’ve achieved something.

22. The phone still works. 

Too many salespeople say the phone doesn’t work. I get it, people don’t answer the phone. However, if I leave a prospecting message, it’s amazing how many times that message winds up turning into a text message that is delivered to the person. 

So guess what? If I leave a short, tight voicemail–they get it! They love it. And in time you leave enough of these–that’s right, you could leave 3, 4, 5, each one different– you’ll eventually get a response. They begin to say, “I’m going to talk to this person, because they respect my time. Because each time they call, they leave me something of value.” That’s powerful.

via Paramount+ on GIPHY23. A prospecting call isn’t an interruption to somebody’s day. 

Now this flies right in the face of “when you’re making a cold call, you’re always interrupting somebody.” I don’t believe you are when you know you can help someone. 

The days of just random calling are gone. Instead, how do I zero in? How do I make sure that you’ve matched up to my ICP: my ideal customer profile. There’s some reason for me to be wanting to make this call. You’re right, I may be interrupting them, but it’s a necessary interruption. 

I have to have the confidence that when I’m calling someone it’s not an interruption, because I know I can help them.

24. Leave short, concise voicemails. 

Keep them short and tight. Because if they’re not, they’re just not going anywhere.

Of course, this related back to my earlier point about the phone. 

Leaving voicemails that are to the point is a skill that with practice can be mastered. 

Learn about the key elements of great voicemails in my Phone Prospecting Masterclass, including scripts of example voicemails!

25. Allow your personality to come through on every phone call and voicemail.

You’re watching a video here. You’ve probably watched other videos I’ve done. As a result, you’ve gotten to know a little bit about my personality and who I am. 

Unless you’re the crazy uncle or the weird aunt, you want your personality to come through. (By the way, if you’re the crazy uncle or the weird aunt, you’re probably in a different occupation anyway.) 

Your personality is your greatest asset. Use it.

via The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on GIPHY26. Cold calling is not dead. 

Those who believe cold calling is dead are the same people who are too afraid to pick up the phone. It’s amazing the number of times I get messages, emails, saying, “Cold calling’s dead. 

Cold calling in terms of random phone calls, yeah, that’s dead. Nevertheless, it may be cold because we haven’t talked, but it’s hot because I know I can help you.

27. Maintain both prospect-specific notes and industry segment notes. 

I find I’m most productive when I can focus my efforts on a particular industry. Therefore, I want to keep notes on that area. 

I do a lot of work in the SaaS space, software as a service. I have a tremendous number of pages on that industry. How that industry works, the vernacular, the acronyms, the terms, etc. I also do a lot of work with OEM companies. And I have an equal amount of information there. This allows me to be more confident. 

28. Don’t forget to secure a next step.

You may be on a call in which the conversation starts going down a different path. And it’s a great path–I’m having a great conversation–but I need to return to my objective of the call. 

If I have the ability to get you on the phone in a conversation, I want to make sure I get something productive out of it. I don’t want a conversation simply for the sake of a conversation.

via The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on GIPHY29. More emails is not the solution.

Don’t fall for the myth that calling doesn’t work, just send more emails. Calling works! You see, email is a great tool, and the telephone is a great tool,  text messaging and social media and all these various pieces are good, but you have to use them in conjunction. It’s like a toolbox. 

If I have a problem with my plumbing and I call a plumber, I don’t want the plumber showing up with just a pair of pliers. Because I’m not sure what they’re going to need,  I want them to be equipped a whole toolbox. 

It’s the same thing with prospecting; I want to use every tool in the toolbox.

30. Never falter from the absolute belief that you can help people. 

Before you begin prospecting, take a piece of paper, draw a line down the middle. On the left-hand side write down 10 customers you’ve had the privilege to work with. And down the right-hand side, you want to write down the outcomes that you helped them achieve. Not what you sold them, the outcomes. How did this help them? 

Look at that and think, “Wow. That’s why I make the calls I do.”

The Sales Hunter University was named one of the Top 10 Online Sales Training programs in the world for the second year in a row! We’re proud of that. We work hard at it. Our whole objective is to deliver content that you can learn from. 

Go find the masterclass that will take you to the next level. Or consider a membership and get them all! 

 

This week on The Sales Hunter Podcast… Is Your Sales Strategy Recession-Proof?

How could a (possible) recession affect buyers’ decision-making, even if business is doing well?

Higher prices on things like gas and milk create a mentality of scarcity that sometimes gets brought into the workplace. It’s our job as salespeople to understand the position our buyers are in, and change our sales strategy accordingly.

How? Listen in Thursday morning to this week’s episode of The Sales Hunter Podcast, with Dr. Mary C. Kelly. 

Available wherever you stream podcasts!

I want to see YOU at OutBound Conference this year!

The date is quickly approaching, so you’ve got to get your ticket now before they’re gone!

The Main Stage Event starts Wednesday, September 21st and goes through Thursday. September 22nd. As always, there’s an amazing line of speakers you definitely won’t want to miss!

Find out more about this amazing opportunity for learning, networking, and growth here.

Use discount code Mark10 to get 10% off any ticket. 

 

*Virtual tickets are available! 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2022, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

The post The Ultimate Prospecting Guidelines: Part 3 first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

The Ultimate Prospecting Guidelines: Part 2

Prospecting is something you have to master if you want to achieve the big results.

In fact, I contend prospecting is the number one reason there is turnover in sales. Unfortunately, people just don’t want to prospect.

Prospecting may not even be your favorite thing…but at least you want to improve! That’s why you’re reading this blog. 

Last week we saw Guidelines #1-10, get ready for 10 more truths from my e-book. 

 

11. Divide your prospecting into three parts, top, middle, and bottom.

You have to know where to place your time and effort. You place more value on the bottom than what you put in at the top. 

This does not mean that you only sit there and work the bottom, because then you’d have nothing going in the funnel. But what it means is that you’re going to put more emphasis on people you have in the bottom of your pipeline than at the top. 

It doesn’t mean you don’t work with the top. You’ll actually wind up having to spend more time at the top, but the bottom is where you get focused.

12. Establish an accountability process

I’m referring to a process with your CRM system, your peers, and your team leader. 

The most successful people in anything have a coach. They’re held accountable. You should be, too. Your CRM system is designed to keep you in check.  But remember, each CRM system is determined by what you put into it. That means you need to be actively updating your CRM system. 

There are people who you work with–fellow salespeople–challenge them! Support one another. Your peers are some of the best people to help drive you to the next level. 

Who is leading you? Seek out your team leader. You have to make sure that you are engaged with them and they’re helping you.

via @InvestInAccess on GIPHY13. Tomorrow begins today. 

Never end the day without knowing exactly who you’ll prospect tomorrow and what your objectives are for the call. If we don’t plan for tomorrow, the day will simply get away from you. “Oh, I didn’t get a chance to prospect. Well, I’ll get to it tomorrow.” 

Instead, I want to have laid out in advance who I’m going to be prospecting and what the objective is. I have the exact plan put together the day before so when tomorrow comes, all I have to do is activate it.

Read more about Time Management Strategies for Salespeople.

14. Break your day into five, 90-minute segments. 

“I’ll get to it when I get done with everything else.” Ever told yourself that before? The problem is you’ll never get done with everything else. Alternatively, break your day into five 90-minute segments. Next, dedicate at least one segment to prospecting. 

For new salespeople, you’re going to need to spend several segments prospecting. You don’t have anything in your pipeline! 

It doesn’t matter if you choose 60-minute or 90-minute segments. Break your day up to ensure that you have time allocated for prospecting.

via The Hills on GIPHY15. Know your overall goal and how you’ll measure it.

It’s easy to become frustrated by what appears to be a lack of conversations, or a lack of results. When you’re looking to fill your pipeline, the measurements you’re going to use are the activities, not the results. The results will come when you do the activities. 

You might try goals such as, “I just want to make 25 calls. I want to send out 20 personalized emails.” Do that enough and then you’ll begin to get things in your pipeline that are very good. 

Instead of ‘watch and wait’ this is ‘work and wait.’ The results you get come from the activities you do.

16. Congratulate yourself and evaluate your performance. 

Spend at least five minutes after each prospecting segment to congratulate yourself and evaluate your performance. 

It can be a lonely job to prospect. Instead of being down on yourself, evaluate it–what’s working, what’s not working. 

But make sure you congratulate yourself that you made it through those activity goals, too. You completed it!

[image error]
via A&E on GIPHY17. Know what your cadence is for following up, process, etc.

Too many salespeople just throw some mud against the wall. “Well, no, that didn’t stick.” Then the next week, “Oh, I better come back and call those people again…Ah, that didn’t work. Maybe I’ll come back.” 

No, build your cadence out. I’ve got courses in the Sales Hunter University that help you do just that. (Find courses on Email Prospecting, Phone Prospecting, or Follow-up here.)

What’s the best course of action via email, phone, social media, direct mail? Identify the right cadence you should be using, and execute it.

Sharpen your prospecting skills and create a healthy pipeline with Mark’s Sales Pipeline Masterclass. 

18. Leverage your systems.

It comes down to knowing where you’re going to keep your scripts, knowing the questions you’re going to ask. Be organized. 

This is why I like a CRM system. Now, the CRM system that you’re using may not capture everything, such as the questions and so forth. 

For that reason, I want to have a place that I’m keeping my notes. And not only notes for that prospect, but notes for that industry, too. 

via JWilsonPix on GIPHY19. Prospect by industry or segment type. 

I want to learn as much as I can about this industry because it’s going to make me more knowledgeable. The more knowledgeable I am, the more confident and competent I am to the other person. 

If you’re prospecting in an industry that you don’t have any clue about, then you don’t know what questions to ask. Conversely, prospecting in an industry you know means you sound much more brilliant and you’re able to convert leads faster.

20. Focus and discipline are key.

If I say I’m going to do it, I will, and I’m focused on doing it. Too many people build a prospecting plan, but they never have an ability to execute it. I have seen this time and time again. In fact, I’m working right now with some salespeople and they’re building out this unbelievable prospecting plan and there’s no way they’re ever going to be able to execute it. Zero chance! 

I’d rather have a very small prospecting plan which I’m able to be focused and disciplined toward. That’s how you’re going to achieve results.

 

Be sure to check out Prospecting Truths #1-10 and tune in next week for #21-29!

via The Sales Hunter on GIPHY

Wait, Mark, give it to me short and sweet. I want it all. Ok then, download the ebook here. 

 

This week on The Sales Hunter Podcast… Is it truly possible to sell with integrity, live trust and still make your quarterly number?

This Thursday’s episode invites Larry Levine back to the podcast, as he and Mark discuss the non-negotiables of great salespeople.

They’ll share key ways that building trust and closing deals can be accomplished together. Do you believe that? Listen in wherever your stream your podcasts. 

Join me at OutBound Conference this year for excellent speakers, incredible networking, and sales education from the experts. (see a list of speakers here)

The Main Stage event starts on Wednesday, September 21st and ends on Thursday, September 22nd. Those two days will change your life and your results.

Use discount code Mark10 to get 10% off your ticket price! Get your ticket here now!

Virtual tickets are available!

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2022, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

The post The Ultimate Prospecting Guidelines: Part 2 first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

The Ultimate Prospecting Guidelines: Part 1

Business does not operate without sales, sales does not operate without prospecting; prospecting is the foundation from which all business is built.

Prospecting is always evolving, but some truths are absolute. 

Whether you’re new to sales, or an old pro, consider this five-part series a refresher course on successful prospecting.

This is Part I of my 50 Prospecting Truths series…If you’re serious about prospecting, paying attention to these! And tune in for the next four weeks. 

1. Accept reality, it’s your responsibility. 

Prospecting does not belong to marketing. Prospecting does not belong to anybody else. It’s your responsibility. 

It’s great that you may have a marketing team that helps you, or perhaps you have BDRs or SDRs that help get you leads and set up appointments for you, but it’s still your responsibility. You have to own it. And that means you have to spend time prospecting, regardless of the position you’re in. 

2. Networking is not prospecting.

Networking is about building relationships. But prospecting is about getting meetings, getting things in your pipeline. 

I may network today and six months from now it can turn into prospecting. But don’t think that I’m going to go out and fill my pipeline tomorrow by suddenly going to a bunch of networking events today. It just doesn’t work like that.

via CBC on GIPHY3. Prospecting is a muscle; it’s got to be exercised. 

Too many sales people think, “Well, I’ve got enough business for this quarter. I don’t need to prospect, or I don’t need to prospect for another year. I’m good.” No, prospecting is a muscle. 

It’s the same thing as going to a gym. You can’t go to a gym after not having gone for six months and suddenly think that one session is going to get you in shape. Success at the gym happens when you work out daily–same thing with prospecting. 

via GIPHY4. Thinking about prospecting is not prospecting. 

This drives me nuts. I see this all the time. People say, “I’m going to prospect. I’m going to prospect for two hours tomorrow.” But all they do is plan to prospect, do research, whatever. That’s not prospecting.

Prospecting is making it happen with the customer. That means you’re actively engaged with the customer. 

Check out this post on How to Create More Time for Selling.

5. Be thankful sales is not easy. 

If sales were easy, you wouldn’t have the potential to make the money that you do. 

Sales is hard because not everybody can do it. That’s why mastering prospecting is your ticket to making big money in sales. 

via HULU on GIPHY6. The perception of bad leads is just a perception. 

I hear this all the time. “Well, the leads are bad.” How do you know? It depends on your mindset going into it. 

I have watched professionals take the exact same list of leads, and one person is told these are bad leads, and you know what? They don’t get any business out of it. Another person is told these are great leads, and you know what? They get business out of it. 

Your mindset going into your prospecting session determines the results you get coming out. 

7. Always know it will take you twice as many attempts. 

I hear salespeople say, “Well, I called them twice and they didn’t respond so they must not be interested.” How do you know you? 

It will always take you twice as many touches. In other words, if you think it’s going to take you four or five attempts to reach somebody, it’s going to take you at least 10. It may take you 15. You have to be willing to stay in the game. 

8. Follow-up is the norm, not the exception. 

People put effort into making that first call, but then they fade away. They never follow up. 

Success doesn’t happen on the first call. Success happens in the follow-up. 

Are you following up with prospects who you’ve had an initial engagement with? Don’t fall off, persist!

via Saturday Night Live on GIPHY9. Prospecting is not about you, it’s about the prospect. 

Conversation cannot revolve around you.  

Well, if I just tell them all about me, how wonderful I am, they’re going to want to buy for me because I’m so good, my company’s so good. Sorry, no, that ship’s sailed and it’s not including you. 

All of your prospecting engagement has to be centered around the prospect and their needs. 

via The Sales Hunter on GIPHY10. Prospecting is a daily activity just like showering. 

You take a shower every day, you practice personal hygiene every day. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. See, it’s the same thing with prospecting. Prospecting is a daily activity.

 

Stay tuned for Parts 2-5 of this 50 Prospecting Truths series via the blog and Youtube! 

 

 

 Get the full e-book here.

This week on The Sales Hunter Podcast…

A great number of things can kill a deal, from politics within an organization to salespeople creating their own objections and problems–or even a nasty surprise.

How do we avoid these road blocks? Tune in to this week’s episode with Tony Hughes, available Thursday!

Listen wherever you stream podcasts…and leave us a rating/review!

Better sales results requires a better sales process.

Join Mark Hunter and Meridith Elliott Powell for a Sales Logic Special Event. 

Register here to attend LIVE on July 20th, 12pm-2pm EST, or watch the recorded event afterward.

Mark and Meridith are bring immense experience and valuable know-how so you’ll have new strategies you can apply right away.

Let’s explore topics such as: key components of a great process, what to measure, role of the leader/mentor/coach, and how to evaluate your process. 

Register now, and don’t miss out!

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2022, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

The post The Ultimate Prospecting Guidelines: Part 1 first appeared on The Sales Hunter.