1. Strategic Prospecting and Preparing for Sales Dialogue

2. Learning Objectives
Discuss why prospecting is an important and challenging task for salespeople.
Explain strategic prospecting and each stage in the strategic prospecting process.
Describe the major prospecting methods and give examples of each method. L 1 L 2 L 3

3. Learning Objectives
Explain the important components of a strategic prospecting plan.
Discuss the types of information salespeople need to prepare for sales dialogue. L 4 L 5

4. Why Buyers Won’t See Salespeople
They may have never heard of the salesperson’s firm.
They may have just bought the salesperson’s product category, and there is presently no need.
Buyers may have their own deadlines on other issues, and they are not in a receptive mood to see any salespeople.
Buyers are constantly getting calls from salespeople and do not have the time to see them all.
Gatekeepers in any organization screen their bosses’ calls and sometimes are curt and even rude.

5. The Importance and Challenges of Prospecting
Customer-bases are not permanent, salespeople may lose customers due to:
Low satisfaction
Competition
Economic fluctuation
Other forms of attrition
The prospecting process is can be long
It may take weeks to replace a lost customer with a new one
Revenue streams can fluctuate if “pipeline” isn’t managed
_______________________and often includes a lot of rejection

6. Ethical Dilemma

7. The Strategic Prospecting Process
A process designed to ________, ________, and ___________ sales opportunities, whether they represent potential new customers or opportunities to generate additional business from existing customers.
Sales Funnel or Pipeline: A representation of the trust- based sales process and strategic sales prospecting process.

8. Strategic Prospecting Process
Sales Leads or Suspects
Generated from Internal or External Sources
Lead Generation Methods Should be Managed
Qualifying Process
Need?
Financial Resources
Authority to Make Purchase Decision
Sales Prospect
Prioritize Prospect List
Initiate Pre-Call Planning
Ideal Customer Profile: The characteristics of a firm’s best customers or the perfect customer.

9. Popular Prospecting Sources & Methods

10. Developing a Strategic Prospecting Plan

11. Developing a Strategic Prospecting Plan

12. Gathering Precall Information: The Prospect

13. Gathering Precall Information: The Prospect’s Organization

14. Ethical Dilemma

15. Role Play