Sales Prospecting Tips

What’s the first thought that pops into your head when you hear sales prospecting? 

When I hear sales prospecting, I really want to think about opportunities. However, experience has taught me to think more about discomfort.

The opportunities sales prospecting provides are phenomenal for those willing to lean into it. Unfortunately, for too many salespeople, their comfort addiction kicks in and they rarely realize the true advantages of prospecting.

Anytime we are reluctant to do something we can always trace it back to one of two fundamental issues. Either I can’t do it or I won’t do it.

Can’t is associated with capabilities; won’t is all about motivation. In my experience when working with most salespeople, prospecting is primarily a won’t issue versus a can’t issue.

This may be hard to hear for some but if we’re being honest with ourselves and looking to grow when it comes to sales prospecting, then we must face the music.

Even if we lack the capability, we can work to improve our skills. If you have the desire to improve and the motivation is there, you’ll figure out a way to improve your capabilities.

Once again, it comes back to mindset here. If we don’t have the right mindset it throws everything else off.

Let me offer you some sales prospecting tips you can use right away.

  • Sales prospecting is not something you do before the sales process starts; it is part of the process. Doing this work and doing it well ensures a higher win probability. 
  • High-achieving sales professionals understand that opportunity must be created before it is captured. Some of us get leads handed to us from marketing, and that’s great. You might be able to get by with only these opportunities for a while but what happens when they’re gone? How can you create opportunities on your own? 
  • Sales prospecting is something you do when you have your prospect’s attention. Any kind of automated message served up as a part of a predetermined sequence is simply marketing. Don’t confuse these activities. As a sales professional, you still need to visit with people who are interested in what you have to say. 
  • Focus on the 3 Rs for high-impact low-effort results.
    • Referral partners (realtors in the new home sales arena)
    • Referrals from past buyers. Are you asking for these?
    • Repeat visitors or people we’ve talked to but went cold.

Don’t Forget Your Energy

We are reaching out to people for the first time and starting a sales conversation, it’s absolutely critical you bring your best energy. I’m suggesting we go all in right away here. Our belief and enthusiasm around how we help people achieve better results need to shine through from the very start!

We must believe we are adding value to the people we are calling before picking up the phone or sending a message.

This mindset shift in how you see and understand sales prospecting will transform your results!

Amp up that energy and let’s go change someone’s world.


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About the Author: Jeff Shore

Jeff Shore is the Founder and CEO of Shore Consulting, Inc. a company specializing in psychology-based sales training programs. Using these modern, game-changing techniques, Jeff Shore’s clients delivered over 145,000 new homes generating $54 billion in revenue last year.