I don’t like to prospect for new business.

It is my least favorite thing to do.  I think I’d rather go to the dentist and get a tooth filled than have to take all the rejection that goes with prospecting.

There is an often used saying people will claim as the truth but it’s not accurate:  “Sales are everything.  Nothing happens till something is sold.”

An important step is missing here.  Sales are everything but without the first step you can’t sell anything.  The first step is prospecting. Everything begins with prospecting.

You may have incredible sales people who will call on your current customers – build relationships with them and bring sales into the business.  But are these sales people prospecting for new customers? 

I hear it over and over again from clients:  “My sales people just won’t go out and find new customers.”

I always find this interesting because if we have someone in administration, production or some other position within the company, we have expectations of their productivity.  But yet we let sales people bamboozle us into thinking there is nothing in their job description that requires them to create new business.  Many business owners buy the story.

Then one day one of our customers retires, sells the business or goes out of business and we are left with a giant hole in our sales quotas. 

Understand what sales is: It’s meeting the need of the customer. 

Sales today is not like the sales person of old who gave you a firm handshake, took you to lunch, built a relationship and got the business.  Today it’s about what can you do for me?  How can you make my business more efficient?  You are only as good as your last sale to each and every customer.  There is no guarantee of customer loyalty these days.

Every one of your sales people should be required to pursue new prospects every week.  If each sales person only pursues one new contact a day, five days a week, 40 weeks out of the year, they’ll talk to over 200 potential prospects within a year’s time.  If you have the best product on the market, if your service is outstanding and your price is right, imagine how your sales volume would grow!   

Again, don’t be bamboozled by sales people who make statements like: Don’t micromanage me.  Or… I’ve forgotten more about sales than you’ll ever know.  Or… I don’t need to prospect because I have enough customers.

You, the business owner, (or even the company president or CEO) have to ask yourself: Who is running this company?  And who sets the goals?  Do you?  Or is it your sales force selling you instead of selling the customer?

And finally, consider how important prospecting can be during these tough economic times and what new customers can bring to the bottom line.

All CEOs, presidents and business owners want more business.  And it’s out there.  It’s definitely out there.  Even during an economic downturn or a recession there is business to be had.  You just have to go out and find it.  The biggest reason I can think of to prospect is that potential customers don’t know you are there or know anything about your service or product unless you are willing to tell them.  Potential customers need you, they want your products or services and they are willing to give you their money.  All you need to do is insist that your sales force create a certain amount of targeted prospect activity every week. 

Sales people don’t like rejection.  But rejection should be on the first line of every sales job description.  Every “no” brings you closer to the next “yes”.

If you really want to impress your sales force, pick up your briefcase and go out and create a few good, qualified prospects that turn into great customers. 

Then after prospecting, sales are everything.