Imagine. You are starting a business, your entire strategy is drawn up, your positioning is clear, but you are missing one last thing for your business to work: customers.
For this, you are obliged to go through the famous prospecting stage. We hear this word a lot without really knowing what it means, without knowing the different prospecting techniques and even less how it is done.
So if you don’t know what prospecting is or how to prospect properly, you’ve come to the right address! 📍
First of all, let's start at the beginning: what is prospecting?
It is a sales method which consists of searching for and contacting potential customers to offer them products or services. This technique is often used to develop new markets or to find customers in specific industries.
Prospecting techniques can be done in several ways. It is important to target prospects well and adapt your approach according to their profile to maximize the chances of success.
Direct prospecting is actively seeking new customers using direct contact methods such as phone calls, emails or meetings. The objective is clear: convince your prospect of the interest of your products or services and encourage them to become a customer.
In other words, it's a proactive approach to finding new customers and growing your business. This may involve contacting people you don't yet know, but the goal is to help them solve a problem or meet a need they have, by offering them a solution that will meet their expectations.
Indirect prospecting is a “softer” method, which consists of attracting the prospect’s attention rather than contacting them directly.
You can attract your target by creating effective and impactful content on your website (a lead magnet, for example), by publishing articles on social networks or by participating in events related to your products/services …
Indirect prospecting corresponds, in other words, to inbound marketing.
The goal is to pique curiosity by offering added value in the form of informative content or useful tips, while helping to solve their problems or answer their questions.
You can lead them to discover your company and your products or services, and encourage them to contact you.
In summary, indirect prospecting involves creating a relationship of trust with prospects by providing them with useful information and helping them solve their problems, rather than trying to convince them through more direct means.
It is the unstoppable technique for showing, demonstrating and convincing in the field. This is still relevant in B2B, where the salesperson goes to the prospect. Before diving into the deep end, you need to work on a punchy and clear pitch!
The goal here is not necessarily to sell immediately. This meeting can serve as a first contact by carrying out (depending on the product/service) a live demo.
Preparing well for this type of meeting means having already done a lot of the work. Regardless of whether your contact buys your product or not, they will have had a positive experience.
This is the basis of commercial prospecting... But the most difficult step to take! For what ? Because we all fear dealing with cold, very cold prospects who may not be receptive to what you are offering. As you keep making these calls, it can be demoralizing.
It is necessary to know your product to succeed in being convincing in a very short time. Because here, there is no demo possible. Whatever the prospecting technique, the pitch will be your asset to convince the prospect!
Today, it’s impossible not to use emailing to do prospecting.
Easier to set up and customizable, it is the method that suits all salespeople. Whether it is to do “cold email” (meaning an individual with whom you have never interacted) or to present your products/services, its advantage results from the fact that everything can be automated thanks to CRMs.
It has become the first (and only?) B2B social network that can increase your visibility and your online figures! But to prospect online, your brand image must be consistent.
To prospect via LinkedIn, several options are available to you:
Publish relevant content, to be visible and position yourself as an expert in your field. By posting, you increase your visibility and your community will grow day by day.
Automation tools, such as LeadnLead to contact your prospects and capture their expectations.
You will have understood, prospecting is like going fishing. The fish are potential customers and your net, your sales technique. The goal is to create a relationship with them and make them want to do business with you.
Starting prospecting is not an easy task. You must first define which method is appropriate for your target, what approach can be taken to reach them and above all how to go from prospect to client.
Depending on your prospecting technique (direct or indirect), the way of addressing a prospect is different. But don't panic, correctly preparing your catchphrases and your pitch and knowing how to be clear in your message is the key to prospecting, whatever your process.
We hope that this article has been useful to you for your future prospecting!
