Sales Prospecting: What Does That Mean | B2B Sales & Lead Generation

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“Prospecting is the proactive search for potential clients and referrals. It is purely outbound and can be initiated at will. Prospecting is the process of identifying for yourself who your ideal clients are, then searching for them, and then creating a base of leads. The goal of prospecting is to further communicate with them, in person and via technology, and to eventually convert them into paying clients.” 

Prospecting is the art of starting new relationships. 

Your new business opportunities that later turn into sales are initially identified through prospecting.

Prospecting is the lifeblood of sales.

Improving your prospecting results begins with setting aside the time and the energy to prospect each and every day. That doesn’t mean once a week or every other day. I mean, each and every day. 

To prospect successfully, you need to focus your time and energy on the methods that work best for you. Which methods are your best?

Make a list of all of the methods you can think of that are used to prospect. Plan how much time you will set aside for each method and set goals for how many prospects you want to gain from your effort.

Poor prospecting results are usually caused by two things:

1. Spending too little time on prospecting.
2. Ineffective prospecting. Coming across as awkward, insincere, or unsure.

Despite being the first stage of the sales funnel, prospecting is one of the most challenging tasks for sales representatives. Generating prospects is often time-consuming and it certainly isn’t as rewarding as closing a deal, which means it’s not uncommon to postpone this task until it absolutely has to be done. However, with the right strategy and commitment, salespeople can refine their sales skills and learn how to identify promising prospects quickly.