Common Listener Questions - Prospecting & Outreach

Prospecting & outreach is another common topic we discuss with folks we coach, clients we work with, and listeners of the podcast. This week we dive deep into the tactical detail of conducting research, beginning outreach, and the importance of context.

One assumption we make in this podcast is that you are operating in an organization that has not adopted an inbound approach, and the core of your business comes from direct outreach and prospecting.

Questions Addressed

• If someone asks for help with outreach, where do you start?
• What action should we take if we are starting from zero when prospecting?
• What are some common mistakes we make when conducting outreach?

Key Takeaways

• First, assess your current situation, you can start with these questions...
  • How do you define prospecting?
  • How do you define outreach?
  • How do you define your business development process
  • How do you find customers?
• Be careful about going too broad.
• There is a difference between crabbing and catching fish - decide what approach is going to work best for your potential client base.
• Once you have identified the role of the folks that you are interested in speaking with, start your search within LinkedIn or LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
• Establish your filters based on the desired profile.
• Determine if the people are within the spectrum of your ideal customer profile. (i.e. organization size between 500 and 2,000 people)
• Look at the companies, and identify those that you have something in common. You may use their products, know people who work there, own stock in the organization.
• Begin conducting research into the organization.
• Take action, be deliberate.
• With the "casting the net" approach, you hope/anticipate that something is going to come to you. The risk here is that this is a bit more passive, and the fish may find another route.
• Casting a line requires specific intent. You cast to a target. You focus on quality over quantity.
• There are multiple approaches that you can take to engage with those who you would like to speak with.
• Take a personalized approach, do the research, do your homework.
• The person on the other end should understand why it is worth trading their time to spend time with you. It's your job to identify and convey this.
• Lee Cockerell - "Don't ask me something that you could have googled"
• Prospecting is about the customer, it is not about you.
• You are trying to discover the people who care about the problem that you are trying to address.
• Ask more questions.
• Be deliberate.

Show Links

• #77 Initial Outreach - Why you Why You Now - Podcast
• CISO & Security Vendor Relationships Podcast
• Send us your Questions
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• Catalyst Sale - Podcast List

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In every business, in every opportunity, there is someone who can help you navigate the internal challenges and close the deal. There is a Catalyst. We integrate process (Catalyst Sale Process), technology and people, with the purpose of accelerating revenue. Our thoughtful approach minimizes false starts that are common in emerging markets and high-growth environments. We continue to evolve our practice based on customer needs and emerging technology. We care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do.

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