Sales Prospecting Training

Nothing in sales has changed more in the last ten years than sales prospecting. Getting through and getting meetings is more challenging than ever.

We’ve cracked the code on what works and what won’t to get through to top executives, obtain meetings, and win sales in the present climate based on the practical, real-world work we conduct within the Pearl Lemon Group. Our sales prospecting training program is for you if you want your sellers to be top performers in sales prospecting. And if you want your business to grow, you certainly should.

What is Sales Prospecting?

The initial stage of the sales process is prospecting. Prospecting’s purpose is to pique people’s interest and then turn this into a sales meeting.

Most salespeople will tell you that establishing conversations with prospects is crucial to their success, but the mechanics of how to do so can be perplexing. Unfortunately, when sellers try to learn more about it, they sometimes come upon contradicting counsel. which, in turn, rather than helping them improve these all important sales prospecting skills only confuse them, and undermines their confidence.

Basics of Sales Prospecting

First and foremost, let’s take a page from direct marketing’s age-old AIDA methodology. AIDA is an acronym for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. Consider sales prospecting to be the practice of attracting attention and generating enough interest to elicit a conversation about a topic that a prospect wants to learn more about. This can be used to set up a sales meeting.

It’s worth noting that we didn’t imply prospecting’s purpose is to discover someone who is actively searching to buy a product or service. This isn’t what most sellers want to do because it really doesn’t work.

When prospecting, look for people who are either in the Desire Phase (interested in fixing a specific problem or purchasing a certain product or service) or the Action Phase (ready to buy) (someone already in the process of searching for a solution to the problem). If all you do is look for these people, you’ll be in for a few rude awakenings:

Find someone who is already looking to buy, and they will almost certainly have a favorite in mind. You almost certainly aren’t the front-runner in this race.
If you don’t sell a common product or service, the buyer is unlikely to consider buying what you have to offer because they know little (if anything) about it, let alone how it works or why it’s valuable.
You’re in luck if you can find someone who wants to solve an issue but hasn’t started researching how to achieve it yet. Finding these folks, on the other hand, will be like finding a needle in a haystack.
You can mold the prospect’s understanding of the necessity of solving a certain problem, and you’ll be able to persuade them into Action, if you’re the one who can grab Attention and create Interest and Desire. The good news is that sales prospecting training from Pearl Lemon Sales can help you in implementing a tried-and-true strategy for sales prospecting success.

Prospecting Sales Techniques

Prospecting is a time-consuming procedure that can be frustrating when things don’t go as planned—and it consumes time that could be spent pursuing other opportunities. Although not every lead will result in a sale, you can increase the impact of your outreach by focusing on people who are most likely to be interested.

Here are some of the things we expand on in sales prospecting training that help sellers to get the most out of their outreach.

Terrific Targeting

The quality of your list and the accuracy of your targeting are the foundations of sales prospecting success. Sellers frequently call too low in the organization and try to build a groundswell from there. Reach out to the decision-makers on a high level. Before you begin, make sure your list is clean and ready to go.

You’ll need to do some research to discover the right contact. You’re not just trying to find decision-makers, but you’re also trying to figure out if you can provide value to their company. This also allows you to rank your prospects based on their value and chances of turning a contact into a professional relationship. You set a great foundation for subsequent interactions if you can develop rapport early on.

Every Touch Has Value

Sellers should tailor their outreach efforts once they have identified strong prospects to better demonstrate the value they can deliver. They should take the time to look over the prospect’s website and learn more about their business. They can design relevant and timely answers to the problems they may be encountering with some prework. Sales prospecting training from Pearl Lemon Sales teaches salespeople how to do this effectively without wasting any time.

The most successful salespeople know that no one wants to hear your capability pitch, company biography, or personal life story right away when you’re selling. They’re interested in learning how partnering with you can improve their life and/or boost their business.

Good salespeople also know not to worry about people buying from them while they are thinking about delivering value. Consider the value they’ll derive simply from speaking with you. You’ll eventually sell your company, your product, and yourself. At first, sell the concept that speaking with you will be a good investment of their time.

You’ll obtain more initial meetings and convert more sales wins if buyers regard you as valuable.

Skipping Sales Trickery

Buyers are more knowledgeable than they have ever been. This encourages good salespeople to take a high-integrity approach. To start a conversation, there’s no need to utilize gimmicks, stretch the truth, or take shortcuts. All this accomplishes is to destroy trust, which is crucial for sales success. Prospecting sales training from Pearl Lemon Leads gives sellers the tools they require to do this.

The Multi Touch Approach

To get through to elite prospects, it takes more attempts than most people believe. To reach and generate a meeting (or demo, or other conversion) with a new prospect, it takes an average of 8 touches. It frequently requires more, and the number varies depending on the industry and role of the prospect in an organization.

This entails an alternating sequence of phone calls and emails, with breaks in between. All of these communications should be tailored to your target. We teach salespeople how to avoid clichés, look for ways to connect on a human level, and include clear call to action statements.

Sometimes, email works even better than cold calling. To reach out and warm up your prospects, you’ll need to use a number of touchpoints—and make sure each one is valuable in and of itself. Even a 5-minute encounter allows you to pique a prospect’s attention and address their needs.

Each method has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Emails, for example, provide prospects with a visually appealing offer that can be forwarded to others but also get buried in the inbox. To maximize benefits while minimizing drawbacks, use a combination of touches.

Keep in mind that there is very little actual selling involved in the sales process. You’re not trying to make a quick sell; you’re attempting to create a relationship. Your multiple interactions with prospects allow you to listen and create actual value.

Many sellers avoid prospecting, which limits their options and opportunities to expand their networks. Regardless of how you go about it, the education we provide will give you and your sales team a solid basis on which to build your prospecting success.

Ready to discuss how sales prospecting training from Pearl Lemon can help your business?

Contact us. We’d love to hear from you!

If you have any questions, please do get in touch with us! If you’d prefer to speak directly to a consultant, book a call!