Hoping And Waiting Are Not Sales Strategies

How much is too much? When is enough, enough? So many salespeople struggle with determining how often they should follow up with a prospect. There’s a spectrum from the invisible man all the way to being a stalker. They also wonder if there is a point when they should give up and move on.

There is no one right answer to these questions. So much depends on the industry, the prior contact, current events, and more. However, let’s look at where the questions often come from. In my experience, a small business owner or salesperson makes contact with a prospect and feels good about the interaction. They feel that they’ve had meaningful dialogue but can’t seem to close the deal. This prospect becomes a focal point for the company. If only . . . what is too much . . . should I move on . . .  

I submit the issue is not the prospect, but the focus. When we believe we have a great opportunity at hand we tend to focus on that opportunity; sometimes to the exclusion of everything else. It’s so close! There must be something we can do to move the prospect to ‘yes.’ This can lead to a feeling of desperation. This prospect can appear to be the solution to our cashflow and revenue challenges. The focus intensifies. A sense of urgency emerges. 

Focusing so strongly on one possible opportunity can actually interfere with a company’s growth. So, what’s a small business owner or salesperson to do? Focus on a prospecting strategy that requires daily activities. The more you add to your prospect pool, the more conversations you’ll have. Those conversations will create more opportunities. The right opportunities will become business and you won’t be stressing over one possibility.  

Remember the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” from Don Quixote? Unfortunately, that’s what we do. We become so laser-focused on getting one piece of business that we fail to nurture other relationships.  

Keep a significant target pool so you have something to do every day. Prospecting is an activity that should be consistently practiced. Until you have a signed contract and/or a deposit, you don’t have the business. Waiting for that prospect to say ‘yes’ is not a strategy. 

Here’s a strategy that will keep you focused in the right place:

• Select a target market
• Develop a list of prospects within that target
• Research the companies on the list. Look for qualifiers to cull the list. Then gather as much information as you can about the final list.
• Engage in an outreach process – seek introductions, call, send intro letter.
• Track all of your activity.

 AND – put all of your activities on your calendar as if they are sales appointments. This will ensure you consistently engage in some prospecting activity.  

The more you focus on doing, the greater your results will be. The one-off won’t seem so crucial. You won’t stress about how many times you do outreach, or what to say, or when enough is enough.