BY Rachel Cagle
Prospecting is arguably one of the most difficult parts of making a sale. How do you sway someone you likely haven’t met before into meeting with you and then to buy something they may not even be actively looking to purchase? What should you talk about in your pitch to influence a sale? The answers to these questions and more lay in the RAIN Group’s sales prospecting study covered in the article, “New RAIN Group Center for Sales Research Study Debunks Common Myths about Sales Prospecting.”
For this study, RAIN surveyed 488 buyers and 489 sellers in over 25 industries to discover how to master sales prospecting. Eighty-two percent of the buyers surveyed agreed that they will meet with salespeople who are proactive in their outreach. What’s even more reassuring, 62% of them are already actively looking for solutions to a problem that a salesperson could solve for them. As a result, 71% of buyers are eager to speak to salespeople early on in their search to help them come up with new ideas for possible solutions.
Proactivity by itself isn’t enough though. You need to do your research into your potential client’s needs. Sixty-seven percent of buyers are more likely to meet with a salesperson if the salesperson’s initial pitch is 100% customized to that buyer. Don’t be afraid to give a little sneak peek of what you can offer them either, as 67% also prefer to set up meetings with salespeople who spotlight their capabilities.
Another important thing to remember is that your potential clients likely believe that over half of the sales meetings they agree to are often a waste of time. Remember, they’re looking for new ideas for solutions to their problems. Are you coming into the meeting in the mindset of providing them with what they need or are you just motivated by making money? Put yourself above the other salespeople they meet with by developing a clear and concise pitch spotlighting a customized plan to solve their particular problems. Proactivity and research, those are the keys to successful prospecting. Now go schedule some meetings!