Prospecting is one of the key stages of the sales process. And, yet, it is also one of the more difficult ones. In fact, 42% of sales reps named prospecting as the most challenging stage of the sale process, a report says. So, why is it so challenging? Well, let’s admit – prospecting is not as exciting as closing a deal. Therefore, it is often postponed for when all the “important things” are done. But without a sales pipeline full of good quality leads, no other new sales are going to happen. That’s why it’s crucial to understand that prospecting kick-starts the entire sale and determines, to a great extent, whether or not the deal is going to be sealed. The math is simple: The more prospects you generate, the more chances to close a sale you have, as every prospect equals an opportunity. And even though traditionally it’s the marketing department that has been tasked with generating leads for sales, it doesn’t mean that sales should stop their own prospecting efforts and wait for the leads to come pouring in. Salespeople still have to embrace the traditional way of prospecting and self-generate leads. But before we move on to discussing the smart ways to prospect, let’s take a look at how the prospecting game has changed. The new reality: Buyers take over the sales process Today’s buyers have become very independent and are playing “hard to get”. Before making any contact with a sales person, buyers are doing a bit of prospecting of their own. A few years ago, a study by CSO Insights showed that, 45% (almost half!) of prospects admitted they wanted to evaluate their needs and look for solutions themselves, before contacting any sales person. Today, the situation is similar. When considering a purchase, B2B buyers spend a meager 17% of time meeting with sellers, and when comparing offers they spend only 5% or 6% of their time actually talking to a sales rep. So, how do they get the information about products? Yes, you guessed it right – they search the Internet. 94% of buyers use the internet to
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