Sales Prospecting Techniques That Get Responses
Prospecting is the part of sales most people avoid and the part that decides most results. The techniques that work are simple, specific and repeated.
Effective sales prospecting techniques include targeting a clear ideal customer, researching before reaching out, leading with something relevant to the buyer, using several channels such as phone, email and LinkedIn, following up consistently, asking for referrals from happy customers and protecting a daily prospecting block. Consistency beats clever scripts.
Buyers ignore outreach that is not about them. Gartner found that 73% of B2B buyers actively avoid suppliers who send irrelevant outreach. Relevance is the price of a response.
Persistence matters too. When I was selling beer for a brewery, I spent a long time trying to reach one buyer who decided for every store. I kept calling, kept looking for a way in and finally got the conversation. Prospecting rewards people who do not quit after the first no answer.
Seven techniques that work
- Define your ideal customer. Who you serve best.
- Research first. Five minutes per prospect.
- Lead with relevance. Their problem, not your product.
- Use multiple channels. Phone, email, LinkedIn.
- Follow up. Most responses come after the first touch.
- Ask for referrals. Warm beats cold.
- Block daily time. Prospect before anything else.
Lead with relevance
Open with something about their world: a trend in their industry, a problem similar companies face, a recent change at their organization. See How to Get a Meeting With a Buyer.
Use several channels
Some buyers answer the phone, some respond to email, some to LinkedIn. A sequence across channels reaches more of them. See Cold Calling Tips and LinkedIn Prospecting Tips.
Ask for referrals
Happy customers are the warmest source of new prospects. Ask right after a success. See How to Ask for Referrals.
Protect a daily block
Prospecting gets pushed aside by everything else. Block it first thing each day, before email. The pipeline you build this week closes next quarter. See How to Build a Sales Pipeline.
Prospecting consistency is part of You Are Capable of More Sales.
Prospecting rewards relevance and consistency. Define your ideal customer, research first, lead with their problem, use several channels, follow up, ask for referrals and protect a daily prospecting block.
Frequently asked questions
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