As a CEO, president or business owner, how often do you and your sales team actively participate in prospecting for new business?
Here’s one more question:
Do you have a window in your office?
If you do, how often do you look outside your window every business day and simply observe what’s going on?
My office is on the second floor. Every day I sit back in my chair and turn it towards the big window so I can take the opportunity to look outside at the beautiful blue sky above and the beautiful greenery below that the office is surrounded by. Most days as I am working and talking with clients I will see at least one hawk high up in the sky.
As the hawk glides through the air what it’s really doing is prospecting.
Does you know what the hawk knows about prospecting?
It’s really a very basic concept in nature that can be applied to your daily business life – and towards your business success.
The hawk is on the lookout for food. With its precision eyesight, the hawk can easily spot a lizard, bird, rabbit, snake or whatever happens to come into its field of vision. It’s what happens in nature and contributes to how the ecosystem maintains its delicate balance. Living here in South Florida, I see it happen every day.
The hawk targets its prospect. If it isn’t successful, ultimately it will not survive.
Business and life are intertwined. Yet as business people we often make things more complicated than necessary so let’s think about the basics.
There are three basics of life.
- Food
- Shelter
- Creation of the next generation.
As humans, a forth component can be added: Comfort.
I am sure you like living in a comfortable house, driving a comfortable car, wearing comfortable clothing – and enjoy eating “comfort food” on occasion.
But in order to have all these nice essentials of life, then you need to do daily what the hawk does: prospect. Because what it all comes down to is: What did you sell today?
Not yesterday or last month or last quarter. Not what you hope to sell next week. It’s all about: What did you sell today? Did you target the right prospect at the right time in the right place – just like a hawk does only using appropriate business sales techniques?
If you don’t prospect and sell the products and services your company offers on a daily basis, then life can get rather uncomfortable. Wouldn’t you agree?
Most business people including CEOs, presidents and business owners I talk with really don’t like to prospect. Especially on a daily basis. Many would rather go to the dentist for a root canal than to prospect daily. Do you feel this way about prospecting?
I’d like you to rethink how you think about prospecting.
- When you prospect, you are giving someone the opportunity to a better life; to solve or improve whatever it may be with your product or service.
- You are sharing your knowledge; your expertise, with someone else that may benefit by it.
- Prospecting is the basic building block of your life from a business perspective.
Think about how you can put prospecting into terms you will be comfortable with; yet be relentless in your daily pursuit of prospecting just as the hawk is.
Remember: The hawk knows how to prospect. Once the hawk is successful with one prospect, it is off to find the next prospect. As business people, we need to do the same. Always be looking for the next prospect, the next appointment, the next sale.
How many prospects are enough?
Always say to yourself: Just one more.
Then when you get one more, prospect for the next one; and the next one after that. Be in constant motion with prospecting and the business will prosper!
Always be prospecting.
Always be sharing what you know and how you can help others. Let what happens in nature be an inspiration to you in your daily life and business with the story of the hawk.
To your success!
Ready to improve and grow your business? Solve business problems and business issues? Talk with Howard! – 888-738-1855 – Howard Lewinter guides – focuses – advises CEOs, presidents and business owners to MORE success – MORE profit – less stress.
Also published as a guest post on Robert Terson’s blog, Selling Fearlessly.