There is little argument that prospecting is one of the disciplines a salesperson must master. Why then, is it the one least understood and most often neglected? The most likely reason is that prospecting takes place at the beginning of the selling cycle with the rewards from the time and effort invested lying down the road at the end of the cycle. We do tend to crave immediate gratification. But you cannot go to the gym every now and then and expect to stay in good shape. Nor can we just prospect every now and then and expect our business to grow.
Many times, your prospecting efforts result in little or no gain. You must walk through many doors before finding one person with enough curiosity, let alone sincere interest, to talk with you. You disqualify several suspects before finding one real prospect that eventually becomes your new customer.
You can view prospecting from one of two perspectives*: An activity filled with frustration and disappointment, or a journey where each unproductive step gets you closer to your ultimate goal. If you believe you provide value and are helping others then do not deny them the opportunity to work with you. The choice is yours. Enjoy it or hate it...just do it.
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*One of our favorite books with great insight on changing your perspective is The Noticer by Andy Andrews.
