Seven Step Sales Prospecting Checklist With No Cold Calls
Written by Dave Lorenzo on April 2, 2019 / Prospecting
If you are looking for the ultimate sales prospecting checklist, with no cold calls, look no further. This is the step-by-step guide to relationship-based sales that will help you grow your business without ever banging on a door or calling a stranger.
Most people think of sales prospecting as calling strangers, introducing yourself and trying to sell something to them. That’s a cold call and that sucks. I never want you to do that.
This seven step sales prospecting checklist is your guide to leveraging the relationships you have to grow your business in a way that is comfortable and natural.
Sales Prospecting Checklist Step One: Reach out to your current clients and referral sources.
The most effective way to build your business or to sell a product or service is by referral. That’s way step one in the sales prospecting checklist is to reach out to everyone in your network and reconnect with them. You’re not selling to them directly (although they may need something you have to offer). You’re going to connect with them and ask how they are doing and see if you can be of service or provide value in some way.
After you provide value, ask for an introduction to someone they know who can use your product or service. If you have a strong relationship this will be completely comfortable.
Sales Prospecting Checklist Step Two: Call current clients and ask them to connect you with an industry trade association.
The second step in the sales prospecting checklist is to ask your clients to connect you with a trade association. Your best clients belong to a group of association with other people who are just like them. This is a target-rich environment for you. While you are on a call with your best clients, ask them what groups or associations they belong to and ask for an introduction to the person in charge. Your goal: get a speaking engagement or publish an article for that audience.
Why? Some of those people are identical to your best clients.
Sales Prospecting Checklist Step Three: Connect with people in your natural network and ask them the same two questions you asked your clients and referral sources.
We all underestimate the people in our natural network as potential sources of business. This means we don’t think of our friends, relatives, school classmates and the people we whom we socialize, as possible referral sources. In reality, these folks all belong to groups and associations and they all know people who need our products and services.
Connect with everyone else you know – people in your social circle – and ask them for referrals as well as for connections to groups and associations for speaking engagements and article publishing opportunities.
Sales Prospecting Checklist Step Four: Ask your vendors to connect you with people who can do business with you.
The people from who you purchase products and services have a vested interest in your success. They sell things to you. You need money to do business with them. They want you to make more money so you can continue to buy things.
As your vendors for introductions in the same way you asked your clients, friends and relatives. You will be pleasantly surprised at how receptive vendors are to connect you with industry trade associations, speaking engagements and article publishing opportunities.
Sales Prospecting Checklist Step Five: Use joint venture marketing to help double your referral base.
Who else sells to your clients and prospective clients? Who else is trying to sell to them? Who do these people trust?
When you answer those questions you expand your referral base. Go back through everyone you know and find out who you can partner with to target the same clients. If someone is selling a noncompetitive product or service to your prospective clients, they are an ideal partner. Work with them on a join educational event or a joint customer appreciation event.
Sales Prospecting Checklist Step Six: Lead with an endorsed mailing.
Regular mail – snail mail – is an underutilized sales resource. Write a letter your clients, referral sources and vendors can send out on your behalf to their lists. Pay for the printing. Pay for the postage. Follow-up with a phone call after the mailing goes out.
This is a warm introduction of you, on behalf of your referral source, vendor or client. It is a great way to introduce you to them.
Sales Prospecting Checklist Step Seven: Facilitate an industry roundtable discussion event.
You are an expert in your industry. Get your clients and prospective clients together and facilitate an event where people share their knowledge. You are the host, the emcee, the person who brings everyone together. You are the person they will view as an expert.
Hosting and facilitating this event will not only establish you as an industry expert, it will allow you to showcase your network. The people who attend will be impressed and your status will be reenforced.
This seven step sales prospecting checklist is a great way to jump start sales. Follow these guidelines one by one and you will never have to worry about making a cold call ever again.
If you want even more detail and a few extra tips, watch this video.
Seven Step Sales Prospecting Checklist
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