Prospecting with pin-point accuracy.

One of the classic ways of catching business students out is with the following:

Question:  If I am conducting a direct mail campaign, what would represent an excellent response?

Typically, students will answer, “2%”, “3%”, etc.  In fact any form of percentage response would miss an important point.

Correct answer: An excellent response, nay magical response, would be if only those that had the money and motivation to buy responded.

Impossible?  Yes!

But there is a fundamental lesson here.  The better you understand the potential buyer, the better you can understand his world and ‘speak’ directly to him.

To understand what John Brown buys,

you have to see the world

through John Brown’s eyes.

So it applies to targeting those companies that have the potential to buy your goods and services.

Firstly, do you really understand why your existing customers bought from you? Not just the obvious needs but, deeper down, what factors made buying your solution an unstoppable outcome?

If you don’t, and many salesmen don’t, then it’s a case of getting on your bike and talking to them.  That’s a smart move anyway because customers frequently say much more than, perhaps, they should, when they know you aren’t selling to them; well not overtly!

As is said; no pain – no gain.  You have to understand the ‘pain’ that was in the customer’s system that caused them to adopt your solution.  I still label this as Understanding the Needs although there are some out there that think identifying needs is passée.

Once you properly understand why it is that your existing customers bought from you then you are properly equipped to find future customers.

More later …..

By Paul Handover

• Business
• Sales