Prospecting is a marketing function

I can confirm this baby. Throughout my diagnosis we're looking for reasons why we should get up, go home and forget about each other once and for all. I extensively use phrases like...

"I guess we've just found a reason for not working together."

"I guess we've just found a reason for me to turn down your request."

"I don't think this will work out for us."

"Considering the circumstances, I can't accept you as a client, but I'm happy to help you to find a competent alternative."

"I suggest that you find another advisor to help you."

People simply want top hang in.

This is my reasoning. I'm about to invest some $450,000 worth of my education and over 10 years of my experience. I expect a good return, so I have to be very careful about who I invest in. Does the client have the potential to collaborate with me that will result in a good ROI for both of us?

What I've found is that tyre-kickers get the most upset when I use the phrases in email and I am not willing to meet them.

Jacques is dead right with the disqualification. That's the way. -Bald Dog

In the beginning I would sign up anyone breathing - no more. JW helped me get a grip. I don't have any catch phrases or stock replies - I ask direct questions and usually in a couple of minutes know if my time is being wasted - sometimes it takes longer. In what I do I don't have to say the things Bald Guy says because the other person is usually first to say no thanks.

I've found with the right questions the other person saying NO first makes it very easy on both of us and no bridges are burned.

The best to all.
MitchM -MitchM

I'm no expert but I think you'd find that most successful people know what they want, believe that what they want is worthwhile and attainable, and pursue those wants with passion and focus. -Houston

I think you're on to something there. ;co -AZBroker

Having a superior sales process and the skill to utilize it might also contribute to success. -JacquesWerth

In my opinion a superior sales process and the skills to utilize it
WITH the success principles I mentioned are a surefire way to success in sales. However, a superior sales process and the skills to utilize it WITHOUT the success principles I mentioned is a surefire way to obstruct success in sales. -Houston

I think you are quite right Houston. :thu -Milton

Do you recommend that salespeople do their own telephone prospecting, high probability style, or do you recommend that companies have a staff of trained, high probability style, appointment setters? Are high probability prospecting offers just as effective with door knocking? -Marcus

I would say using these two sales tools is why I have managed to stay in sales so long.

When new to sales I was always on the look out for buying signals. I had somehow convinced myself that I could sell and had the ability to twist every objection to my advantage by using the Yes, but method. Then I discovered it didn't work, that I was not getting the results I wanted, and I had to face the fact that some clients either didn't want to buy, maybe they didn't want to buy from me, or they had another, better purchase decision in mind. You could say I ruined my teeth trying to convert every sale.

So I became a lazy salesman, I started looking for buying signals, and they had to be fairly strong, but if the buyer had a determined not-to-buy attitude about him/her, then I was quickly off to pastures new. To be honest it was lovely saying to some people "Look, I can only spare you another two minutes because I have so many calls to do each day", or "I know this offer is for you, but can we discuss it some other time - we are inundated with enquiries and I must make tracks". What did I discover, I felt happier, I was off to find more rabbits, and was not going to have a wasted day. And avoiding wasted days is what spells success or failure. So try and close within 50 seconds, test how warm the water is, and be prepared to leave all within 5 minutes. -Incidentally

I can only confirm Incidentally's answer. When we make up out minds to meet only people who are 7-10 ready (on a scale of 1 to 10) to make buying decisions if their buying criteria are met (Yes, High Probability wording - Thanks Jacques), then we'll meet fewer but readier prospects.

And certainly feels good to be a lazy salesman respected by prospects. -Bald Dog

IMHO, Finding and Landing the "7-10" is where the money is at. ;co -AZBroker

AZbroker does "landing" mean selling? -Marcus

It depends on what "selling" means to you. Landing to me means converting the "7-10" prospects into satisfied clients through sales activities (qualify, present, close, ...) so for me landing and selling are synonymous. -AZBroker

Landing... I like that. On more than one occassion I've been one of those prospects that was ready to buy but didn't get "landed". The salesperson screwed up an easy sale. ;om -Jolly Roger

"Landing" a sale is analagous to landing a fish. It usually involves a lure, a hook, and a loss for one or both of the parties. -JacquesWerth

Here's what I do - I've been with a network marketing company ten years and I prospect which means I market what I have to offer people. I offer them a couple of benefits of what I market and they tell me if they want to know more or not. If they do we go from there.

When the sale is made or the distributor sponsored no one has landed anyone - it's been a mutual ageement all the way. It took me some time to work like this but it's the most comfortable free-from-stress way I've worked in what I do.

You cut out the crap and offer somebody something he or she either wants and is willing to buy or not - at the time.

MitchM -MitchM

Some people might see it that way. I'm not one of them. ;wi -AZBroker

This is a given and there is more to it than that. Salespeople can and do lose legitimate deals by their own thoughts and actions. Maybe the salesperson is having a rotten day emotionally or is intimidated by the size of the sale or any of the many other mental roadblocks that get in sales people's way. This is the human condition. The sooner salespeople recognize this and learn to control their thoughts and emotions the sooner success in any endeavor will be realized. -Jolly Roger

Agreed. More opportunities are probably lost because of "attitude" than "skill". -AZBroker

We have a guy in our office who is going to lose his job if he doesn't keep walking his ups. One of the ups he walked bought the listing they came in on but bought it through an agent from a different company. :yi -Thomas

Quote:
Originally Posted by MitchM
You cut out the crap and offer somebody something he or she either wants and is willing to buy or not - at the time.

This is a given and there is more to it than that. Salespeople can and do lose legitimate deals by their own thoughts and actions. Maybe the salesperson is having a rotten day emotionally or is intimidated by the size of the sale or any of the many other mental roadblocks that get in sales people's way. This is the human condition. The sooner salespeople recognize this and learn to control their thoughts and emotions the sooner success in any endeavor will be realized.
__________________

That's my world and I'm successful - I've never worked in other sales worlds so I have no experence or opinions outside what I do.

What do you mean by "control thoughts and emotions" and what system do you recommend if any for this personal work? -MitchM

Does this count for real estate agents calling for-sale-by-owners? -melsre

Many real estate brokers provide lists of FSBOs. -AZBroker

I knew that some did and some didn't. What about buyers? Should brokers provide buyer to agents? -melsre

Many real estate brokers generate buyer leads and pass these leads on to agents in their office. Should they do this... that is another topic of discussion. ;wi -AZBroker

They can until the agent is able to meet the needs of the buyer. But one thing which might damage the deal may be the buyer fail to revert back if there are too many calls from the agents. I may be wrong! -surya_seo2006

The one thing people have control over is their own thoughts. Thoughts lead to action and action leads to destiny. -Jolly Roger

If the salesperson is given company-generated leads then prospecting is a marketing function. The marketing department would generate and then qualify all company-generated leads against a standard and then hand them over to the sales staff. If a sales person wants or needs his own leads then he would be the person responsible for the prospecting activities of generating and qualifying the leads. -Gilbert

I agree.
However, "attitude" is also an important factor. Attitude directs your thoughts.

Example
Most salespeople have an attitude built around scarcity. They believe that qualified prospects are scarce. Therefore, they are willing to take appointments with prospects that are merely “interested” in their products and services. That results in a lot of hard work and very few closed sales. -JacquesWerth

IMHO an attitude reflects, not directs, how you're thinking. -Jolly Roger

I tryed to think of some exceptions and didn't come up with any. So, I'm sure that JR is right. That is a valid distinction. -JacquesWerth