What’s the most effective way to reach potential customers in today’s digital age? Which prospecting methods actually convert leads into sales?
In Fanatical Prospecting, sales expert Jeb Blount reveals proven strategies for connecting with prospects through multiple channels. His comprehensive approach covers in-person meetings, phone calls, emails, and social media outreach.
Keep reading to discover how to maximize your success across different prospecting channels and create a winning sales strategy that delivers results.
Prospecting Channels
To put Blount’s general guidelines into practice, you need to master each of the primary prospecting channels. To that end, we’ll discuss the importance of prospecting via multiple different channels before we dig deeper into Blount’s processes for effective prospecting in-person, via telephone, via email, and via social media.
Take a Diversified Approach to Prospecting
Having seen how to build awareness with your prospects, Blount’s last strategy involves putting it all together to create a coherent approach to prospecting. Rather than focusing exclusively on what you believe to be your best prospecting channel, Blount advises that salespeople use a combination of prospecting channels.
To show why a diversified approach is optimal, Blount draws an analogy with the stock market. He writes that savvy investors don’t simply find one promising stock in which they invest their entire savings; rather, they diversify their investments across various different stocks to reduce risk, in case one of the stocks tanks. In so doing, these investors not only set themselves up for high returns but also mitigate the risk of losing their savings.
(Shortform note: Although Blount is correct that many investors diversify their portfolios, other investors believe such an approach is suboptimal. For example, in The Warren Buffett Way, Robert Hagstrom explains Buffett’s view that diversification can only lead to mediocrity since a more diversified portfolio will more closely mirror the market-average returns. For this reason, Buffett prefers a smaller portfolio consisting of around 10 stocks. Applying this reasoning to prospecting, it could be preferable to stick to the few forms of prospecting that you’re most suited for.)
Similarly, Blount suggests that only using one prospecting method—typically the one that you’re most comfortable with—can only lead to mediocre returns. By contrast, salespeople who use an array of prospecting methods will become more competent in each of these areas, making them more successful than salespeople who lean on only one method and don’t improve.
(Shortform note: The preference for sticking with one prospecting method often stems from status quo bias—our tendency to maintain our current situation and resist uncomfortable change. For example, a salesperson who is advanced at cold-calling might be reluctant to dive headfirst into other forms of prospecting, since that would require changing the status quo.)
Channel #1: How to Prospect In-Person
Although prospecting has become increasingly remote, Blount notes that in-person prospecting remains integral—especially when selling to higher-level executives, whom you’re less likely to get a hold of via other means. We’ll examine Blount’s strategy for executing in-person prospecting, both in preparation and in the moment.
What to Do Before In-Person Prospecting
Before you’ve met your prospect, Blount highlights three pivotal tasks that you should complete: determine your goal; analyze your prospect; and tailor your approach.
Task #1: Determine Your Goal
Blount writes that before prospecting in person, it’s crucial to decide ahead of time what your goal is since that goal will shape your plan. For example, are you attempting to close a sale with a prospect, or are you merely attempting to build name recognition and gather further information about them for the future?
Task #2: Analyze Your Prospect
Next, Blount points out that you should analyze your prospect before prospecting in person. This process involves collecting any information that could be relevant to you as a salesperson—for instance, their role in the company or any recent developments that could prompt a need for your product.
Task #3: Tailor Your Prospecting Plan
Once you’ve collected information about your prospect, your next task involves using that data to create a plan that’s tailored to them and their needs. Blount notes that this might mean discussing important news about their business when starting the conversation. For example, if you’re planning on meeting someone whose company recently acquired a smaller subsidiary, you might mention that you can imagine how logistically complicated the acquisition was.
What to Do During In-Person Prospecting
After you’ve established your plan of attack, the next step is to execute it. To do so, Blount recommends these four steps: approach with composure; state your name and intention; have a conversation; and, finally, make your request.
Step #1: Approach With Composure
Blount suggests that to start off on the right foot, you must approach with composure. He contends that, when prospects sense that you’re approaching with enthusiasm and self-assuredness, they’re much more likely to hear you out than if you seem anxious or unconfident. Further, he maintains that this self-assuredness stems from having a well-researched plan, so if you complete his three previous tasks, this step should come naturally.
Step #2: State Your Name and Intention
Next, you should state your name and intention. For example, a salesperson from a fitness equipment company might walk into a local gym, introduce themselves, and then say “I’m from FEC fitness equipment company, and I overheard that you were considering updating your gym equipment. I was hoping to speak to your manager to see whether my company could be the right fit for you.” According to Blount, this direct approach will help you gain credibility and not come across as a desperate salesperson.
Step #3: Have a Conversation
Blount writes that, after you’ve stated your name and purpose, you should have a conversation in which you listen carefully to your prospect, rather than trying to pitch them something. Because people enjoy talking about themselves, your prospect will be more likely to like you if you genuinely listen to their thoughts and needs. Moreover, listening to them will provide you with more information about their company that can help you convert your prospect into a sale down the road.
Step #4: Make Your Request
Finally, Blount encourages you to end your discussion with your prospect by making the request that aligns with the goal you set earlier. For instance, if you’re trying to increase the prospect’s familiarity with your company, you could ask whether they would have time to meet with you next Monday to talk more in-depth about the products that your company offers. By contrast, if you’re trying to close a sale, this step could involve asking them outright whether they’re interested in purchasing your product. In either case, asking directly gives you the best chance of fulfilling your goal as a salesperson.
Channel #2: How to Prospect Via Telephone
Blount notes that, while prospecting in person allows you to spend time face-to-face with your prospects, prospecting via the telephone allows you to speak to prospects with unparalleled efficiency. For this reason, telephone prospecting is arguably the salesperson’s most powerful approach. To do so effectively, Blount recommends implementing a four-step process that’s similar to his in-person approach, but with a few small tweaks tailored toward phone conversations: Hook your prospect, state your name and intention, give your prospect your reason for calling, and make your request.
Step #1: Hook Your Prospect
Once your prospect answers the phone, it’s important to hook their interest by using their first name. According to Blount, most people are hard-wired to respond upon hearing their name—it naturally draws their attention, meaning they’ll be less likely to immediately hang up the phone.
Step #2: State Your Name and Intention
Blount writes that, immediately after calling your prospect by their first name, it’s essential to state your name and give your purpose for calling. Just like during in-person prospecting, providing your name and purpose is an act of transparency that builds credibility with prospects, making them more likely to hear you out.
Step #3: Give Your Prospect Your Reason For Calling
According to Blount, after stating your purpose, it’s time for the most important part of the call—giving your prospect a reason why you’re calling. For instance, if you were selling memberships to a lawn-mowing service in the summer, your phone call might look something like this: “Hi Julie, this is Jeb from Turf Experts lawn-mowing company. I’m calling to see if you might be interested in our service because summer’s approaching and many working people don’t have the time to mow their lawn every week.”
Blount relates that, because humans naturally desire reasons that rationalize their actions, the simple act of providing a “because” statement will significantly increase the likelihood of converting your prospect into a sale.
Step #4: Make Your Request
Finally, once you’ve stated your reason, it’s time to make your request as straightforwardly as possible. Just like when you’re prospecting in person, stating your request clearly and concisely offers you the best chance that your prospect will agree to it.
Turning Rejections Into Conversions
While Blount’s process can maximize your effectiveness at telephone prospecting, he acknowledges that frequent rejections will be inevitable. But, he contends that you can still turn some of these rejections into sales by adopting the following three-step process: regain control of the conversation with a simple statement, subvert prospects’ expectations by agreeing with them, and reiterate your request.
Step #1: Regain Control of the Conversation
Blount points out that, when faced with rejection, your natural fight-or-flight response kicks in, causing you to want to exit the situation. Consequently, he recommends that you issue a quick grounding statement to gain control over your emotions. For example, if your prospect said, “I don’t think we need your product right now,” you might respond, “Many of my other customers mention that at first too.” This statement gives you time to regain composure and take back control of the conversation.
Step #2: Subvert Prospects’ Expectations
Next, you should subvert your prospects’ expectations so they don’t believe you’re like all the other salespeople who try to argue them into changing their minds. To do so, Blount advises that you make a small concession and agree with them to show your understanding. For instance, after telling your prospect that many other customers initially feel that they don’t need your product, you could add, “And those customers are right—their companies were fine before I came around. However, my product might be able to improve your company, even if it’s fine without it.” Such a response shows that you understand where your prospect is coming from, rather than immediately arguing with them.
Step #3: Reiterate Your Request
Blount writes that, at this point, all that’s left is to reiterate your initial request to see whether your prospect might reconsider. For instance, you might follow up your previous statement conceding that they don’t technically need your product by asking, “So, what do you say we meet next Wednesday at 11 a.m. to see if my product could be a good fit for you?” That said, Blount maintains that if your prospect still rejects this second request, it’s time to move on—after all, you won’t be able to convert every prospect to a sale.
Channel #3: How to Prospect Via Email
Although telephone prospecting has long been a staple of sales, Blount relates that prospecting via email is becoming increasingly common. To that end, he recommends that to craft a compelling prospecting email, implement these four steps: Catch your audience’s attention, demonstrate understanding, explain how you can help, and make your request.
Step #1: Catch Your Audience’s Attention
Blount explains that the first step of email prospecting is to ensure that your audience actually reads the email you’ve sent them, rather than deleting it on the spot. To do so, he advises that you catch their attention by writing a gripping subject line and opening sentence that are clearly relevant to them. For instance, if you’re writing to the manager of a family-owned bookstore, your subject might read “Small Bookstores Suffocating Under Pressure From Amazon,” and your opening sentence might read “Many experts predict that family-owned bookstores are a dying breed.” This subject line and opening sentences are immediately relevant to your prospect and compel them to read further.
Step #2: Demonstrate Understanding
Next, you need to demonstrate an understanding of your prospect’s problems so that you can connect with them on an emotional level. According to Blount, most prospects make decisions based on emotions, so prospects will be more likely to make the decision you want if they think you understand their emotions. For example, returning to the example of the bookstore owner, your next sentence might read, “I’m sure that it’s difficult to keep your business afloat when competing against massive corporations like Amazon.”
Step #3: Explain How You Can Help
After you’ve related to your prospect, it’s time to give a concrete reason why you can help them. After all, Blount explains that most people are motivated by selfish considerations, so clarifying how exactly you can benefit your prospect will draw them in. For instance, if you ran a consulting company that focused on small businesses, you might tell your bookstore owner, “I’ve worked with several other smaller bookstores in the area and helped increase their yearly revenue by 10% through new marketing techniques.”
Step #4: Make Your Request
Finally, after you’ve explained how you can help your prospect, you need to make a formal request to take the next step toward a sale. For example, you might ask the bookstore owner, “Are you free to meet next Thursday at 2 p.m. so that I can learn more about your business and see whether my consulting company might be a good fit?”
Channel #4: How to Prospect Via Social Media
While email prospecting has been around since the mid-1990s, prospecting via social media platforms—especially LinkedIn—only burst onto the scene in the 2010s. However, Blount cautions that social media isn’t useful for directly selling to prospects, as people use social media to connect with one another, not listen to pitches from salespeople. Rather, he contends that social media is best for fostering name recognition with prospects.
Consequently, Blount lists an array of strategies for making your prospects aware of you and your company. Specifically, he encourages you to: Frequently connect with prospects, create content that’s relevant to your prospects, and share content that’s relevant to your prospects.
Strategy #1: Frequently Connect With Prospects
According to Blount, the first strategy for building rapport with prospects on social media is simple: Connect with them on various platforms. The specific connection process will look different on each platform—on LinkedIn, for example, you simply send a connection request and if your prospect accepts, you’re mutually connected. By contrast, on Twitter, you might follow a prospect without them following you back. But, in either case, reaching out to your prospects on social media will increase their recognition of your name, leading to more effective prospecting.
Strategy #2: Create Relevant Content
While connecting with prospects can create a baseline level of awareness, Blount suggests that when you publish content that’s directly relevant to your prospects’ lives, it’ll increase their engagement exponentially. He writes that producing relevant content—for example, blog posts, short articles, and explanatory videos—will instantly boost your credibility in the eyes of prospects. Rather than just another salesperson, prospects will view you as a trustworthy expert in their field—one whom they’re more likely to buy from in the future.
Strategy #3: Share Relevant Content
Nevertheless, Blount acknowledges the difficulty in constantly producing high-quality content. For this reason, he also advises that you share content from other credible posters that’s relevant to your prospect base. In so doing, you’ll add value to your prospects’ social media feed, making them more favorable toward you—especially compared with other salespersons who are constantly trying to pitch them something.
