Off the Cuff: How to Actually Enjoy Sales Prospecting

Meridith Elliott Powell

Off the Cuff Interview Question: “Why would you rate prospecting high on the list of sales skills, and how could a salesperson come to enjoy it?”

I get it, prospecting is one of the hardest parts of sales. As a sales professional is can be tough to keep your motivation up while getting a lot of rejection. It can kill your enthusiasm and zap your energy.

However, prospecting is key to sales success. Without a solid sales prospecting strategy, your ability to keep your sales pipeline full and your sales goals met will be a constant struggle. Prospecting is the engine of sales. It was keep the pipeline moving and the deal flow well flowing. When we prospect effectively, we create a system that creates more leads, invites more sales conversations and results in more closed deals.

So like it or not sales prospecting is good for you, and believe it or not it can be fun. Here are six strategies to help you enjoy the process just a little more.

1. Mindset – Get your head right. Start think of prospecting as relationship building rather than sales. When we focus on building relationships we take the pressure off, and we allow ourselves to connect with prospects rather than pushing them.
2. Plan – Make a plan. Effective prospecting means knowing your target market; knowing where they go, what they do and how to connect with them; ,and understanding the right questions to ask to really vet your prospect. The better your prospecting plan, the more prospects you will turn into customers.
3. Control – Take control. Approach prospecting with the idea that you are interviewing prospects and you get to choose who does business with you. Prospect from a place of power rather than a place of need.
4. Journey – Enjoy the journey. Understand that you are connecting now with prospects that you will do business with two or three years from now. Slow, down and breathe.
5. Do It Anyway – Take the pressure off. Prospect whether you need to or not. The best time to prospect is when your pipeline is full.
6. Celebrate & Learn– Invest the time to reflect. Celebrate every win you get and learn from the rejections. Reflection is powerful in helping you do more of what is working and less of what is not.

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