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Homeopathic medicine claims that consuming a miniscule amount of certain medicinal substances (even down to one molecule) diluted in a liquid will protect us from illness. Unfortunately, that is how we approach prospecting sometimes, as if one molecule of prospecting will help us grow our business. We have to prospect constantly and in large quantities.

I’m Tired of These Types of Sales Tips
I can’t seem to find a sales blog, sales magazine or sales book anymore that doesn’t have some version of, “Sales isn’t a numbers game anymore.” Well that might be trendy to say and real “Sales Management 2.0″ sounding, but they’re wrong. They’re especially wrong when it comes to prospecting.

“To think…we can intellectualize prospecting…is naive.”

Why the New Quantity-Doesn’t-Matter Sales Advice Doesn’t Work
Can we all agree on the following?

• Poor sales skills matched with low prospecting activity = poor results
• Poor sales skills matched with high prospecting activity = marginal results
• Good sales skills matched with low prospecting activity = marginal results
• Good sales skills matched with high prospecting activity = great results

The best and most prepared Olympic marathon runner in Beijing this month won’t win a medal if he or she doesn’t get out on the track and get those legs moving.

We Also Need to Know How to Sell
That’s right. Activity is necessary when we are prospecting, but we also need to know how to sell effectively. Proper preparation and skills have to be present. To think, however, that we can intellectualize prospecting to the point where we believe activity is not necessary, yet we can expect outstanding results, is naive. Every sales professional I’ve ever observed that excelled in bringing in new business makes a humongous number of prospecting contacts.

Let’s distill this down to one sales tip formula: Preparation + Prospecting Activity X Sales Ability = Results

Related information: Jigsaw CEO Tells Me Why You Need His Website, Sales Tips: What is Cycle Prospecting or Perpetual Prospecting?

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Tags: Prospecting, prospects

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