Three Sales Prospecting Tips for Lead Generation

Focusing on the end result, cast the cold call ‘net’ with a consistency that borders on obsession.

Of all the sales strategies that exist, cold calling – or prospecting – is the sales technique that causes people the most stress and anxiety. The bottom line is: no salesperson likes making cold calls.

However, there is good news, according to Sandler Training Rule #7, is that you never have to like prospecting. You just have to do it. Those who say they are comfortable with prospecting really mean they’ve reached the place where the temporary discomfort of cold calling is secondary to meeting their goals.

Here are three tips to overcoming sales call reluctance:

Focus on the end result you want to achieve from your sales.

As a salesperson, you’re going to feel pressure, whether you make cold calls or not. If you don’t make cold calls, that pressure will come in the form of reduced income, which is undoubtedly worse that the cold calls themselves. Recognize and accept that prospecting goes hand-in-hand with sales and focus instead on what you want or need to achieve.

Look at prospecting as a selection process.

Sales prospecting is like a sport fishing expedition. While you’re hunting for "the big fish" – namely, the true prospect who is both willing and able to purchase the product or service you’re selling – you’re certain to run across many distractions (prepping, paperwork, etc.) and "small fry" who, in fact, aren’t a good fit for what you offer. Cold calling is simply a sales selection process that helps you determine where to spend your energy: on the catch that shouldn’t get away as opposed to the fish you need to toss back.

Just do it – again and again.

When you’re trying to hook a true prospect, you need to persevere. Chances are that true prospect will not be the first or even the tenth cold call you make. You must cast your sales prospecting net over and over again with a consistency that borders on obsession.

Each morning, have a purposeful goal in mind when you start. That purposeful goal will be the number of cold calls you need to make to get the number of referrals it will take to generate the amount of sales you want. Do not allow yourself to get sidetracked by small-fry distractions. Just do it.