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Prospecting Tips for Sales
Author: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA
This article has been updated by the author to reflect 2009 trends and market dynamics.
For many people who are in sales, seeking out and developing new contacts is a difficult and time-consuming task, a task that often gets pushed to the "back burner" for a variety of reasons. If it sounds familiar in your organization, you are not alone. Only one in ten salespeople make regular prospecting calls according to the experts. In the physician relations world, taking on internal responsibilities seem to be the major culprits. So, who needs to prospect for new clients?
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In physician relations/sales, the effort may be largely focused on a target group of physicians known to your organization. Within that group there are physicians that are hard to reach or unavailable; they qualify. There are times when it is important to expand the geography or otherwise add new and yet unknown physicians to the target list.
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In the world of employer sales, the representative is constantly adding new business to the target group. Prospecting is continuous as businesses are added to the community roster. In addition, service expansion in your program often creates new opportunity to reach out to new markets.
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Within physician recruitment, prospecting for new physicians is a huge part of the recruiter's ability to be successful. There is a constant need to connect with candidates who may be interested in your practice opportunities. While resident prospecting feels straight-forward, getting to the practicing physicians requires very good prospecting skills.
In all of these roles, it takes effort to make certain you are prospecting with good energy and momentum. Here are some tips to enhance your prospecting efforts.
- Establish a set number of prospecting calls per week.
- Determine a morning or afternoon block of time to make the initial calls.
- Schedule it religiously.
- Write down your introductory statement.
- It should be smooth and feel friendly to the prospect you are calling.
- While you are composing, consider all the "lines" salespeople have used when you are the client. If they were turn-offs for you, others will probably feel the same.
- Position your benefit
- Acknowledge the gatekeepers role and take care of that relationship first
- Gatekeepers will not let you through if they feel you will waste their bosses time.
- You must be prepared to succinctly tell them why their office, why the appointment, and why you deserve to meet with the physician
- Prepare
- Look through your current targeted prospects and determine their potential need.
- Evaluate any barriers before placing the call. If you are interested in positioning injury care to employers, sort the prospect list by type of industry and call the businesses that have a higher rate of work-related injuries. Likewise, if you have a new physician in the GI lab, you will want to share your message with Internal medicine and family practice physicians first.
There are three requirements for good prospects. Prospects must:
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Have a need for your product
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Be able to afford your product
Costs and/or time and money must not be insurmountable.
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Be accessible
Let's face it, if you can't communicate with the prospect it's pretty hard to qualify them. Creativity with your telephone approach, mailing, faxing or connecting at community events, a CME or a recruitment fair offer a starting point.
A good system of tracking prospects is essential. Develop a routine for obtaining background information that includes a ranking system and notes regarding the dialogue. Many excellent databases simplify the process. Don't waste valuable prospecting time looking for phone numbers.
Successful prospecting is not magical. It requires determining your target, doing your homework, committing time to the process and tracking your results. It is hard work and requires a good deal of determination. Successful prospecting leads to increased business opportunities and increased revenue.