Sales prospecting is one of the areas of sales that reps should continuously refine. 

For newbs, the sales prospecting process is one of fresh approaches, requiring strategy, bravery, and tenacity.

For experienced reps, sales prospecting training can mean unwiring and rewiring, upgrading them from old-school methods to new-school approaches.

In both contexts, examples are helpful.

Here is a sample sales prospecting process.

At ASLAN, we teach reps the full scope of skills needed for high-performance selling. It’s not tips and tricks. It’s an in-depth understanding of how people work, and a willingness to get outside their comfort zone and put others first. You can learn more about it here.

1. Source Info (Create or Use Clean and Reliable Lists)

Step one of sales prospecting is getting the info. We’re talking about them digits. And LinkedIn profiles. And email addresses. The contact information.

Reps may be working off a list from the CRM (haven’t-bought-in-a-while or didn’t-close are two good spots to look), a list from a directory or database, or create their own lists.

For the sake of this example, let’s pretend the rep is doing some good old-fashioned email prospecting on the internet.

Here’s a process for B2B sales prospecting:

• 1. Narrow down a list of target companies that represent a good opportunity
  2. Pull up the ideal client profile (ICP) with the list of demographics and psychographics
  3. Google the company
  4. Go to that company’s About page
  5. Find the individual(s) whose titles/roles match the ICP of the decision-maker (Consider if there are people easier to “get in the door with”; these may be included in the process)
  6. Collect the full names and email addresses of these individuals (Note: email addresses are not always available, in which case the rep will need to sleuth a bit more or perhaps use Sales Navigator or another platform or tool)
  7. Also collect any social media profile information:
     • If they can find them on LinkedIn (and the prospect is in Creator Mode), the rep should follow them. If not, they can at least learn if there are any connections in common that would allow a DM.
     • If they can find the prospect on Twitter, they can follow them.
     • If they can find the prospect on Instagram or Facebook and it is not a private account, they can directly follow.
     • If they can find the prospect on TikTok, they can begin liking videos (follow will require permission).
     • It may be useful to also follow the company’s business accounts. For instance, if they can find it on YouTube, they can subscribe to their channel.

Remember: every social interaction or engagement issues a notification. It’s a good way to get in front of somebody before you’ve gotten in front of somebody.

That’s probably the easiest, fastest way to prospect an email address (non list sourced) and begin to enter a prospect’s ecosystem.

2. Prioritize Comms (Learn What’s on Their Whiteboard)

Step two is to gain context around what kind of conversation is worth having. Here at ASLAN, we frame it as “what’s on their whiteboard.” Knowing and speaking to what the prospect is currently focused on, and what is a priority to them, is a rep’s surest bet to get a meeting.

If a rep can learn these personal priorities, they’ll gather talking points that focus on the problem (not just pitching a solution — more on that in this blog).

So how does that work?

Here are some ways to learn what a prospect cares about:

• Investigate their social feed, paying attention to what they are personally posting and what content they are interacting with.
• Look for company news — articles, press releases, notices, new product launches, new service lines, projects, R&D, the list is endless. Review any news that could be related to the prospect’s job or role.
• Ask around. Do you have colleagues or know people in the same industry? What’s going on? Anything new or important or game-changing? Consider the impacts of bigger scale market dynamics on this prospect’s work.

Note, it’s tempting to try to message a prospect right away. Some reps straight up ask, “what are your business priorities right now?” But that creates a burden of reciprocity a bit early. 

We suggest reps wait until they have some data, information, or insight to bring to the table. It’s a key step that ensures they are operating in an Other-Centered™ way, which the prospect will respond positively to.

3. Initiate a Non-Selfish Convo (Focus on Other-Centered™ Ideas)

Step three is make contact. Reps have done their due diligence. They don’t just have raw contact information but some idea of what’s going on in this prospect’s world. Hopefully they have sniffed out some indicators of what this individual cares about. Then it’s time to convey those Other-Centered ideas.

Here are some messaging ideas:

• Direct message them asking their take on an industry event or trending piece of content that is directly relevant to their role. “As a leader in X, curious to know your perspective on Y.”
• Buy a recently released thought leadership book that you think they’d find interesting. Handwrite a note to them or underline portions you think are interesting. Mail it to them.
• Create a poll on LinkedIn and tag them, asking them to weigh in. Outside LinkedIn, you can do the same thing with a survey delivered via email or DM link.
• Craft an email message that starts with a surprising truth/statistic/idea, then follow up with some expert insights and a request to meet.

Reps need to refine the soft skill of discerning when “the time is right” to make an ask. But even as the talks start, it’s important for them to not shift focus to the self, staying the course with other-centeredness through the whole process.

4. Drop the Rope™

Step four is to let go. Now, this doesn’t mean the pressure is gone. It does mean that there is no you vs. me mentality to drive a decision.

Reps who have sufficiently put themselves in a prospect’s shoes, and had a meaningful Other-Centered conversation, shouldn’t start pulling the rope to move the process along. When a meeting has been achieved, reps are through the door and may now be determining if this is a viable lead.

One of the most effective negotiation tactics is to remove all combat from the situation, seeking to understand, diminishing stress, and making it clear:

I am here to help.

Our solution may not be the right solution for you.

I want what’s best for you right now.

No rep is going to trick someone into buying. Customers are smart. They usually have some idea what their options are. Going into combat mode isn’t going to help anything. Dropping the rope is a core tenet of our programs for this very reason: it works.

The rep led and continued with the idea that they wanted to help this individual solve a specific, relevant problem. Now it’s up to the prospect (now lead) to decide what they want to do. 

ASLAN’s Sales Prospecting Process: Found in Training

Sales prospecting processes need to evolve over time. Reps can be trained to improve their ability to prospect efficiently and effectively. 

With the right training, prospecting is less a shotgun and more a rifle: aimed well with an on-target effect.

Want to see your team excel in sales prospecting and more? Connect with us anytime.