Are your teams experiencing a great deal of frustration with prospecting? Is the amount of focused out-bounding activities yielding little or no reply from potential clients?
In a recent Butler Street Sales Effectiveness training session, we asked the team in the room to share the different channels by which they are delivering their message. Naturally, we received many of the responses one would expect from a great team:
"I either connect with a message on LinkedIn or send an InMail" "I have an email campaign strategy" "I block out time on my schedule for specific vertical market phone calls" "I am making calls out in the field every day"
These, of course, are all perfectly acceptable and encouraged activity types.
Then we asked the team to share the types of messaging being used in these various areas. The feedback was somewhat unique based on the person sharing, but the general theme was similar…”We share what our company does and what solutions we offer”.
What about, "Prescription Before Diagnosis = Malpractice"?
What does this mean and why is it so important?
Effective Prospecting Strategies
There are three critical areas of focus one should consider as part of their overall prospecting strategy. All of these are based on the foundation of engaging prospects with industry best practices, NOT SELLING THEM A SOLUTION:
Operating Reality - Being able to see problems as they occur through the eyes of your clients. As you consider messaging, it should always begin with, “how will my solution benefit the customer and their outcomes”? If you are focused on your customers’ specific outcomes, and how your solution optimizes the financial and operational performance measures for them, you are ultimately viewed as a trusted advisor and an expert in your field.
If we solve our customers' problems....we'll solve our own.®
Effective Prospect Plan - The very first step in building an effective prospecting system is to focus on the specific vertical markets where you can deliver the best results. Once you’ve targeted the ideal types of clients, concentrate on those leaders with decision-maker powers who can truly understand the impact your solutions will have on their specific financial and operational outcomes. Remember, you get pushed to the person you sound most like.
Conduct appropriate research on both the client and the individual with whom you are trying to reach. Develop a system of reinforcing communications through a combination of email, phone calls, LinkedIn outreach and visits to create your personal brand and level of expertise in the industry.
Value Communications - You must next develop scripted value statements (either for written or phone communications), focused on your client’s operating reality, that will captivate the attention of the decision makers and differentiate you from the competition. Remember, regardless of our communication method, the idea is to ENGAGE the client with meaningful content, not sell them on our solutions or our organization.
At Butler Street, we are focused on helping companies and their people grow by sharing best practices and staying in OUR customer’s operating reality. If you feel like your team could use a little “axe-sharpening” in these areas, or simply want to discuss ways to build sustainable growth, let's talk.