This Article Contains:<\/h2>\n
(Click on links to jump to specific sections)<\/p>\n
- \n
- What is Sales Prospecting?<\/a><\/li>\n
- 7 Effective Sales Prospecting Techniques<\/a><\/li>\n
- How To Perform Sales Prospecting the Right Way<\/a><\/li>\n
- 3 Excellent Sales Prospecting Tools to Find and Convert Qualified Leads<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Let\u2019s jump right in.<\/p>\n
What is Sales Prospecting?<\/h2>\n
Sales <\/b>prospecting<\/b> involves identifying potential customers who can benefit from your product or service.<\/p>\n
Why is this important?<\/i><\/p>\n
You\u2019ll likely come across numerous B2C or B2B sales leads for your business.<\/p>\n
But most of these leads won\u2019t <\/b>become customers.<\/p>\n
A sales professional must focus their prospecting effort on leads who might convert and provide long-term business value.<\/b><\/p>\n
And that\u2019s where the difference between a sales lead and a sales prospect comes in handy.<\/p>\n
While there\u2019s no universal definition, a sales lead<\/b> is usually someone who has expressed interest<\/b> in your product or service. For example, they visit your website, have signed up for your newsletter, etc.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, a prospect<\/b> is a qualified <\/b>sales lead<\/b> \u2014 meaning that they:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Match your ideal customer profile<\/a> and buyer personas<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Have a sufficient budget to buy your solution.<\/li>\n
- Can genuinely use your help to overcome their challenges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
My point?<\/i><\/p>\n
In sales prospecting, your goal isn\u2019t<\/b> lead generation.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s to uncover a qualified<\/b> potential buyer for your offerings and nurture them into a paying customer.<\/p>\n
However, that\u2019s not all there is to sales prospecting.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s why it\u2019s also important:<\/p>\n
Why Sales Prospecting Matters<\/h3>\n
Here are three<\/b> ways in which sales prospecting tactics add value to your business:<\/p>\n
1. Sustains Your Sales Pipeline<\/h4>\n
To achieve your long-term vision for your business, you\u2019ll first need to meet your short-term revenue goals<\/b>.<\/p>\n
And for this, you require an active sales pipeline.<\/p>\n
Sales prospecting helps you sustain this pipeline by providing a steady stream of qualified leads your sales rep can pursue and convert.<\/p>\n
Read my article on sales pipelines for more info.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
2. Improves Sales Productivity<\/h4>\n
Focusing on every lead you find will get you nowhere.<\/p>\n
Your salesperson might end up expending much prospecting effort on people who were never going to be your customers in the first place.<\/p>\n
By focusing your sales team’s efforts on B2C or B2B sales leads who match your buyer personas and customer profile, you can improve your sales productivity and streamline customer touchpoint examples<\/a>.<\/p>\n
This way, you can improve your sales productivity and focus on closing more good-fit leads.<\/p>\n
3. Offers Insights<\/h4>\n
Effective sales prospecting provides insights into other<\/b> categories of solutions your potential client is exploring.<\/p>\n
You can use these insights to understand what \u201cjob\u201d<\/a> an ideal prospect would hire your product or service to do. Later, you can find ways to do these jobs better than your direct or indirect competitors.<\/p>\n
Now that you know why sales prospecting matters, let\u2019s explore the different types of sales prospecting methods:<\/p>\n
What are the Different Types of Sales Prospecting Methods?<\/h3>\n
Broadly speaking, you\u2019ve got outbound sales prospecting<\/b> and inbound sales prospecting<\/b>.<\/p>\n
In outbound prospecting, you reach out to<\/b> prospects who haven\u2019t<\/i> expressed interest in your offerings. And this involves using cold calls, cold emails<\/a>, social media messages, etc., to connect with prospects.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, under the inbound prospecting method, you approach potential B2C or B2B buyers who\u2019ve expressed interest in your product or service. They could\u2019ve downloaded a case study, subscribed to your newsletter, or requested to talk to a salesperson.<\/p>\n
Both types are just as essential to most businesses.<\/p>\n
7 Effective Sales Prospecting Techniques<\/h2>\n
Here are seven<\/b> sales prospecting techniques you can use to increase your customer base:<\/p>\n
1. Cold Calling<\/h3>\n
Cold calling<\/b> is an age-old sales prospecting technique where you ring up a potential client to see if they\u2019re interested in your product or service.<\/p>\n
However, most prospects now view cold calling as an intrusive and annoying sales strategy.<\/p>\n
Your potential prospect probably won\u2019t be too thrilled about getting calls from a random salesperson, which can derail your entire sales prospecting process.<\/p>\n
2. Email Marketing<\/h3>\n
Unlike cold calls, email <\/b>marketing<\/b> offers a less intrusive way to discover B2C or B2B buyers for your business.<\/p>\n
In this prospecting technique, you send personalized<\/b> emails tailored to your prospect\u2019s unique needs. You aim to convince your ideal prospect why you\u2019re an excellent solution for their needs through your email message.<\/p>\n
And while it might seem challenging, you can use the right email tool<\/b><\/a> to track prospect engagement automatically, send follow-up emails, and do so much more with ease.<\/p>\n
Bonus: Read <\/i><\/b>how to write the perfect prospecting email<\/i><\/b><\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
3. Content Marketing<\/h3>\n
In content marketing<\/b>, your goal is to attract inbound leads and convert them into customers.<\/p>\n
You create and share value-added content assets like blog posts, case studies, whitepapers, and infographics relevant<\/b> to your ideal customers. This way, you can establish yourself as a trusted resource they can turn to.<\/p>\n
4. Social Selling<\/h3>\n
Social selling<\/b><\/a> helps you discover and communicate with the right leads via social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.<\/p>\n
However, note that this prospecting strategy only works if you approach a potential client on the channels they<\/b> use.<\/p>\n
5. Conversational Marketing<\/h3>\n
Conversational marketing<\/b> uses chatbots to communicate with website visitors based on predefined scenarios or by using artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n
They help you:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Promote your product or service.<\/li>\n
- Collect lead info.<\/li>\n
- Qualify leads.<\/li>\n
- And more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Essentially, chatbots save you time by automating parts of your lead qualification<\/b> process.<\/p>\n
6. Referrals<\/h3>\n
Using referrals <\/b>is an excellent sales strategy.<\/p>\n
Here, your current customers refer a potential client to you. Their recommendations <\/b>carry weight, feel authentic, and can convince a qualified prospect to become your customer.<\/p>\n
However, for referrals to work, you must consistently deliver on your commitments to current customers and provide a fantastic customer experience.<\/p>\n
7. Networking Events<\/h3>\n
You can also find new sales opportunities by attending events like tradeshows and conferences. Events also offer the added benefit of helping you keep tabs on what your competitors are up to.<\/p>\n
But to effectively use prospecting tactics during events, you\u2019ll need proper sales training and a solid game plan<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n
So what does good sales prospecting look like?<\/p>\n
How To Perform Sales Prospecting The Right Way<\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s explore the ins and outs<\/b> of sales prospecting to help you do it the right way:<\/p>\n
1. Create Your Ideal Customer Profile and Buyer Personas<\/h3>\n
Before you can identify prospects, you\u2019ll need clarity on what makes a lead qualified<\/b>. And creating your ideal customer profile<\/b> and buyer persona<\/b> can help with that.<\/p>\n
A. What is an Ideal Customer Profile?<\/h4>\n
An ideal customer profile provides a checklist of essential criteria<\/b> a potential client for your business should satisfy.<\/p>\n
It can include information like:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Industry or niche.<\/li>\n
- Company revenue.<\/li>\n
- Number of employees.<\/li>\n
- Location.<\/li>\n
- And so on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re in the real estate business.<\/p>\n
Your ideal customer profile can specify that:<\/p>\n
- \n
- The prospect is looking for an apartment in Seattle.<\/li>\n
- They must have a budget between $700,000 and $900,000.<\/li>\n
- They have a good credit score.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Having a customer profile will help you quickly eliminate outbound or inbound leads from your sales funnel who aren\u2019t the right fits for your offerings.<\/p>\n
B. What is a Buyer Persona?<\/h4>\n
A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation<\/b> of your target customer.<\/p>\n
While an ideal customer profile talks about things like the industry and revenue of a prospect, a buyer persona focuses more on their:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Company role.<\/li>\n
- Behavioral traits.<\/li>\n
- Demographic details.<\/li>\n
- Specific needs and challenges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
For example, in real estate, you can have separate buyer personas for first-time homebuyers, families, property flippers, and so on.<\/p>\n
In short, a customer<\/b> profile defines your target market<\/b>, while buyer personas identify the specific types of <\/b>clients<\/b> within that market<\/b>. And together, they help your sales professional decide whether you have a good-fit customer for your product or service.<\/p>\n
2. Identify the Key Decision Makers Associated with a Prospect<\/h3>\n
Once you\u2019ve got yourself a qualified lead, it\u2019s time to check their buying authority<\/b>.<\/p>\n
Why?<\/i><\/p>\n
Sometimes, the qualified prospect you make a sales pitch to may not have any buying authority at their company. It wouldn\u2019t be up to them to decide whether to purchase your solution.<\/p>\n
To increase conversions, you\u2019ll need to identify the key decision-makers related to a prospect.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a B2B business<\/b>, you might want to look for senior employees<\/b> who could influence the buying decision-making process. And if you\u2019re a B2C business<\/b>, it could be friends, relatives, or other peers<\/b> that influence the prospect\u2019s purchase decisions.<\/p>\n
Either way, go through a prospect\u2019s networks<\/b> to determine who has a say in their buying decisions.<\/p>\n
A professional network like LinkedIn can be your go-to tool here.<\/p>\n
You can use the social networking platforming to connect with your potential buyer, explore their networks, and derive more insights into what makes them tick.<\/p>\n
Bonus <\/i><\/b>sales prospecting tip<\/i><\/b>: Explore how to leverage LinkedIn to boost your prospecting efforts.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
3. Reach Out to Your Prospects<\/h3>\n
Once you know who your prospects are and what interests them most, it\u2019s time to reach out.<\/p>\n
You can use calls, emails, social media networks, and more to approach your prospects. However, make it a point to approach prospects on the channels they use<\/b>.<\/p>\n
If your ideal prospect is active on LinkedIn, send out a connection invitation or drop an InMail message. And if you can\u2019t find them on social networks, you could send out a personalized email<\/a> that\u2019s tailored to their specific needs.<\/p>\n
When you have their attention, take the opportunity to fully understand the true nature<\/b> of their unique challenges and goals. And then analyze if your solutions would help them achieve their objectives.<\/p>\n
4. Provide Value to Your Prospects<\/h3>\n
When communicating with your prospects, focus on adding value<\/b> through relevant content.<\/p>\n
For example, you can send them:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Helpful how-to guides.<\/li>\n
- Industry stats.<\/li>\n
- Case studies.<\/li>\n
- Whitepapers.<\/li>\n
- And so on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Educate your prospects on the consequences<\/b> of inaction and the positive implications<\/b> of addressing their challenges. Talk about any pain points your potential buyer hasn\u2019t noticed, and help them explore the different categories of solutions that can assist them.<\/p>\n
Then, use your expertise to empower them to understand the pros and cons of each solution category. And finally, describe to your prospects how you\u2019re uniquely positioned<\/b> to help them boost their mission.<\/p>\n
5. Follow Up with Your Prospects Consistently<\/h3>\n
Reaching out to your prospects once doesn\u2019t conclude your sales prospecting process.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll need to follow up with your prospects consistently to encourage them to advance along the sales cycle. You may need to send follow-up emails<\/a> or remind them through social media messages.<\/p>\n
Whatever channel you end up choosing, remember not<\/b> to be pushy.<\/p>\n
Why?<\/i><\/p>\n
Your prospects don\u2019t want to feel like they\u2019re being coerced into purchasing your product or service. Your goal is to help them recall how much they can benefit from your offerings.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t have a pretext for reaching out to your prospects again, forward some more helpful content, or maybe ask them if they\u2019d like your assistance on anything else.<\/p>\n
Remember, the key is to stay on top of their minds<\/b> without being too aggressive.<\/p>\n
Bonus: Read how to <\/i><\/b>write excellent sales follow-up emails<\/i><\/b><\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Feels like sales prospecting is too hard to master?<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t worry.<\/p>\n
With the right tools on your side, sales prospecting becomes a breeze.<\/p>\n
3 Excellent Sales Prospecting Tools to Find and Convert Qualified Leads<\/h2>\n
Here are three<\/b> powerful sales prospecting tools that can help you identify, manage, and convert your prospects into revenue-generating customers:<\/p>\n
1. GMass<\/a> for Sales Email Automation<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image1-1024x503.png\")
<\/p>\nGMass<\/b> is a powerful email <\/b>outreach<\/b> and <\/b>marketing automation<\/b> tool<\/b> that\u2019s perfect for managing sales conversations with your prospects.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a popular tool used by employees in powerhouses like Google and Uber as well as social media giants like Twitter and LinkedIn.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also suitable for a startup or solo sales professional.<\/p>\n
And the best part?<\/p>\n
GMass works entirely inside Gmail<\/b>. So there\u2019s no need to get adjusted to a new prospecting tool interface.<\/p>\n
GMass Key Features<\/h4>\n
GMass helps you:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Auto-personalize<\/b><\/a> your sales emails at scale, including images<\/a>, links<\/a>, and paragraphs<\/a>, to create emails tailored to the specific needs of a potential customer.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image8.gif\")
<\/p>\n2. Track the delivery and engagement of your sales emails through detailed analytics reports<\/b><\/a> generated right inside your Gmail inbox.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image5-1024x965.png\")
<\/p>\n3. Send out automated follow-up emails<\/b><\/a> to your B2C or B2B buyers to encourage them to take action.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image3.gif\")
<\/p>\n4. Schedule<\/b><\/a> your sales emails to go out at optimal times to reach your B2C or B2B sales prospect when they\u2019re most likely to engage.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image9-1024x595.png\")
<\/p>\n5. Build an email <\/b>list<\/b><\/a> of sales prospects directly from your Gmail search results based on keywords relevant to your target audience.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image7.png\")
<\/p>\n6. Leverage behavior-based campaigns<\/b><\/a> to send out emails based on how a potential customer responded to your previous emails.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image2.png\")
<\/p>\n7. Access GMass\u2019 sales email outreach and marketing automation functionalities from your smartphone through the add-on<\/b><\/a> for the Gmail Android app.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image4.png\")
<\/p>\nGMass Pricing<\/a><\/h4>\n
GMass has three<\/b> comprehensive pricing plans to support different user requirements:<\/b><\/p>\n
- \n
- Individual:<\/span>\n
- \n
- <\/b>Standard: $25 per month or $225 annually.<\/b> Includes unlimited emails, contacts, and campaigns. Plus mail merge personalization, Spam Solver, and dozens of other features.<\/span><\/li>\n
- <\/b>Premium: $35 per month or $325 annually.<\/b> All Standard plan features, plus auto follow-up sequences, API access and Zapier, and triggered emails.<\/span><\/li>\n
- <\/b>Professional: $55 per month or $525 annually.<\/b> All Premium features plus GMass MultiSend for inbox rotation and high-priority support.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Team:<\/span>\n
- \n
- <\/b>Professional:<\/b> starts at $145 per month for a team of five \u2013 supports all features.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
GMass Ratings<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Capterra: <\/b>4.9\/5 (580+ reviews)<\/li>\n
- G2: <\/b>4.8\/5 (560+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
To use this marketing automation and sales prospecting tool, download the Chrome extension<\/b><\/a> and sign up for free <\/b>using your Gmail account.<\/p>\n
2. LinkedIn Sales Navigator for Social Selling<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image10-1024x543.png\")
<\/p>\nLinkedIn Sales Navigator<\/b> helps you discover prospects for your business on LinkedIn. You can use it to connect with a potential prospect, analyze your competitors\u2019 networks, and identify decision-makers associated with your qualified prospect.<\/p>\n
LinkedIn Sales Navigator Key Features<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Lead Recommendations<\/b> help you discover the right people at a target company\u2019s account.<\/li>\n
- InMail<\/b> messages allow you to reach out to a potential prospect on LinkedIn even if you\u2019re not connected with them.<\/li>\n
- CRM Integration<\/b> lets you automatically save the leads and accounts you\u2019re targeting and save their activity log to your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
LinkedIn Sales Navigator Pricing<\/h4>\n
Paid plans that start at $79.99\/user per month.<\/p>\n
LinkedIn Sales Navigator Ratings<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Capterra: <\/b>NA<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- G2: <\/b>4.2\/5 (1290+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
3. HubSpot Sales Hub for Customer Relationship Management<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image6-1024x543.png\")
<\/p>\nHubSpot Sales<\/b> Hub<\/b> is a CRM database that can help streamline your prospecting process and other sales activities.<\/p>\n
HubSpot Sales Hub Key Features<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Call Tracking & Recording <\/b>enables you to prioritize sales calls and automatically logs them to your CRM.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Document Management & Tracking <\/b>helps you build a sales content library for your entire team.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Sales Automation <\/b>allows you to automate your sales process and engage with your prospects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
HubSpot Sales Hub Pricing<\/h4>\n
HubSpot Sales Hub has a free plan and paid plans that start at $50\/month for 10 users.<\/p>\n
HubSpot Sales Hub Ratings<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Capterra: <\/b>4.5\/5 (280+ reviews)<\/li>\n
- G2: <\/b>4.3\/5 (6930+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Capterra: <\/b>4.5\/5 (280+ reviews)<\/li>\n
- Sales Automation <\/b>allows you to automate your sales process and engage with your prospects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Document Management & Tracking <\/b>helps you build a sales content library for your entire team.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Call Tracking & Recording <\/b>enables you to prioritize sales calls and automatically logs them to your CRM.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- G2: <\/b>4.2\/5 (1290+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- InMail<\/b> messages allow you to reach out to a potential prospect on LinkedIn even if you\u2019re not connected with them.<\/li>\n
- G2: <\/b>4.8\/5 (560+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Capterra: <\/b>4.9\/5 (580+ reviews)<\/li>\n
- <\/b>Premium: $35 per month or $325 annually.<\/b> All Standard plan features, plus auto follow-up sequences, API access and Zapier, and triggered emails.<\/span><\/li>\n
- <\/b>Standard: $25 per month or $225 annually.<\/b> Includes unlimited emails, contacts, and campaigns. Plus mail merge personalization, Spam Solver, and dozens of other features.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Individual:<\/span>\n
- Auto-personalize<\/b><\/a> your sales emails at scale, including images<\/a>, links<\/a>, and paragraphs<\/a>, to create emails tailored to the specific needs of a potential customer.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
- 7 Effective Sales Prospecting Techniques<\/a><\/li>\n