Prospecting is a sales technique that consists of finding and identifying potential customers to convert them into actual customers . It is used to increase a company’s number of customers and boost its sales. However, this activity can be complex and requires a well-defined strategy to be effective. In this article, we’ll explore what prospecting is , the different strategies and techniques used, and the tools available to help businesses achieve their goals.
What is commercial prospecting? Definition
Commercial prospecting is the set of actions that the company puts in place to find new potential customers. This method makes it possible to increase its turnover by expanding its clientele. Commercial prospecting is an active process that consists of looking for new customers rather than waiting for them to come to you . This approach is often used by companies to conquer new markets or to compensate for a drop in customers.
What is a customer?
A customer is a person or business that has previously purchased a product or service from the business. The customer is therefore a loyal buyer who has already taken the plunge and who has placed his trust in the company. It is therefore important to retain customers to maintain their trust and loyalty.
What is a lead?
A prospect is a person or business who has not yet purchased products or services from the business, but who might be interested in what the business offers. The prospect is therefore a potential customer who must be convinced to buy the products or services offered by the company.
The different types of leads
There are several types of leads, each with specific characteristics. To maximize the chances of converting these prospects into customers, it is important to understand the particularities of each of these types of prospects.
- Qualified prospects
Qualified prospects are people who have expressed an interest in the company’s products or services. They may have filled out a form on the company’s website or contacted the company to request information. These prospects have already established a certain level of trust with the company and are therefore more likely to become customers.
- Unqualified prospects
Unqualified prospects are people who have not yet shown a specific interest in the company’s products or services. These people can be included in a larger prospecting campaign, but they are less likely to become customers than qualified prospects.
- Hot leads
Hot leads are people who have already expressed a clear interest in the company’s products or services and are ready to take action. They may be ready to buy immediately or have additional questions before finalizing their purchase decision. These leads are often considered the most valuable as they are on the verge of becoming customers.
- Cold Leads
Cold leads are people who have not expressed a specific interest in the company’s products or services, but who may be included in a larger prospecting campaign. These leads are less likely to become customers than hot leads, but they can still be converted into customers with a targeted prospecting approach.
- Inactive prospects
Inactive prospects are people who have already interacted with the company but have not become customers. They may have abandoned their cart on the company’s website or requested information but have not finalized their purchase decision. These prospects can be re-engaged with a targeted prospecting campaign that addresses their specific needs or concerns.
What is the difference between a customer and a prospect?
The difference between a customer and a prospect is that the customer has already purchased a product or service from the company, while the prospect has not yet taken the plunge. It is therefore important to differentiate between these two categories to adapt your prospecting and loyalty strategy.
What is direct prospecting?
Direct prospecting is a method of prospecting that consists of contacting prospects directly by phone, email or post. This method makes it possible to enter into direct contact with the prospect to offer him the products or services of the company. This method is often used for mass prospecting campaigns, but can also be very effective in a more targeted approach.
What is indirect prospecting?
Indirect prospecting is a prospecting method that involves using third-party communication channels to get in touch with prospects. This method makes it possible to reach a large number of people indirectly. The communication channels used can be social networks, blogs, events, etc.
What is the main purpose of prospecting?
The main purpose of prospecting is to find potential new customers for the business. This method makes it possible to broaden its clientele and increase its turnover. Prospecting can also allow the company to make itself known in new markets or in new sectors of activity.
How to do business prospecting?
Commercial prospecting can be carried out in different ways depending on the objectives of the company and the nature of the products or services offered. Here are the main steps to follow to do business prospecting:
- Step 1: Determine the target (Buyer Persona and ICP)
The first step in commercial prospecting is to determine your target. For this, it is important to define his “Buyer Persona”, that is to say the typical profile of his ideal customer. It is also essential to determine your “Ideal Customer Profile” (ICP), which makes it possible to define the criteria for qualifying prospects.
By defining your Buyer Persona and KPI, you can identify companies and people who match your offer. This will allow you to target your prospecting efforts to the most relevant prospects.
- Step 2: Build a database, the prospects file
Once you have defined your target, it is time to build your prospects file. To do this, you can use different data sources, such as professional directories, social networks, professional events, or even online tools like SoContact.com.
By using SoContact.com, you can build a database of ultra-targeted prospects thanks to the powerful filters allowing precise segmentation. This will allow you to obtain lists of prospects relevant to your business, with information such as company name, contact name, email address, telephone number, etc.
- Step 3: Prepare your prospecting and your message
Once you have built your prospect file, it is time to prepare your prospecting message. Your message should be clear, concise, and personalized to your Buyer Persona and your prospect’s KPI.
It’s important to focus on the benefits your offer will bring to your prospect, rather than the features of your product or service. It’s also essential to include a clear and simple call to action, to make it easier to get in touch with your business.
- Step 4: Plan niches dedicated to prospecting
Sales prospecting can be a time-consuming task, so it is important to plan dedicated time slots for this activity. By planning in advance when you will spend time prospecting, you can focus on this task without being distracted by other activities.
It is also important to set prospecting objectives, such as the number of emails sent or calls made per day, in order to measure your effectiveness and optimize your time.
- Step 5: On D-Day, be attentive, empathetic and persevering
When you are in contact with your prospects, it is important to listen to their needs and expectations. You also need to show empathy to understand their situation and help them find suitable solutions.
Finally, it is important to be persistent and not to be discouraged by refusals or non-responses. It is often necessary to relaunch a prospect several times before obtaining a positive response.
- Step 6: Organize a good prospect follow-up
Finally, the last step of commercial prospecting consists in organizing a good follow-up of prospects. It’s essential to log all interactions with each prospect in your CRM, so you can track their progress through the sales process.
It is also important to plan regular reminders to maintain contact with your prospects and keep them informed of your offers or promotions. Finally, it is recommended to regularly measure your prospecting performance, in order to optimize your strategy and achieve your objectives.
What are the different types or strategies of prospecting?
Now that you understand what prospecting is, it’s time to move on to the different strategies you can put in place to reach your prospects. There are several types of prospecting, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
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Cold Mailing: commercial prospecting by e-mail
Cold mailing is a prospecting technique that consists of sending an e-mail to a prospect without having had any prior contact. The goal is to arouse the interest of the prospect so that he contacts you. This method is widely used in the world of online sales and it is very effective when done well.
Cold mailing can be personalized or automated. Personalized emails are more efficient, but they take more time and effort. Automated emails, on the other hand, are faster and easier to set up, but they have a lower response rate.
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Cold Calling: commercial prospecting by telephone
Cold calling is a prospecting technique that consists of calling a prospect without having had any prior contact. The goal is to convince the prospect to buy your product or service by explaining its advantages. This method is very effective, but it requires perseverance and skill.
To succeed in your cold calling, you must prepare your call beforehand and make sure that you have all the information necessary to convince the prospect. It is also important to be polite, professional and empathetic during the call.
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Social Selling: digital prospecting through social networks – LinkedIn
Social selling is a prospecting technique that consists of using social networks, in particular LinkedIn, to find prospects. The goal is to build relationships with these prospects and lead them to become customers.
To be successful with social selling, you must first create a professional and attractive LinkedIn profile. Then you can search for leads and contact them through LinkedIn. It’s important to personalize each message to show that you are genuinely interested in the person.
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Field sales prospecting
Field sales prospecting consists of meeting prospects in person, generally by going to their place of work. This method is very effective for local businesses that want to meet potential customers.
To succeed in your field sales prospecting, you must be prepared to travel and invest time and resources. It’s also important to prepare your sales pitch beforehand and make sure you have all the necessary information about the prospect.
What is a prospecting method?
A prospecting method is a specific technique or strategy used to identify, contact and convert potential customers into actual customers. Each prospecting method is based on a specific set of criteria to identify potential customers, as well as a unique approach to contacting and converting them. By using different prospecting methods, businesses can maximize their sales potential by reaching different types of potential customers.
- BEBEDC method
The BEBEDC method is a six-step prospecting strategy that consists of:
B: Contact the prospect
E: Establish a relationship with the prospect
B: Discover the prospect’s needs
E: Present a solution adapted to the needs of the prospect
D: Demonstrate the value of the proposed solution
C: Closing the sale
The BEBEDC method is a prospecting method that consists of identifying the needs, environment, budget, authority, decision and purchasing cycle of potential customers. This method is often used in B2B sales to help sales representatives better understand the needs and constraints of their potential customers, in order to propose suitable solutions.
- BANT method
The BANT method is another four-step prospecting method that consists of:
B: Find out if the prospect has enough budget to buy your product or service
A: Determine if the prospect has real authority to make a buying decision
N: Establish whether the prospect has a specific need for your product or service
T: Know if the prospect has a timeline for purchasing your product or service
This method is particularly useful for companies that sell expensive products or services and require a certain level of qualification before engaging in a commercial conversation.
- 4×20 method
The 4×20 method is a method of prospecting that involves segmenting your market into four groups of 20% based on their level of price sensitivity. The method is then divided into four steps:
- Set the highest possible price for the first group
- Set the price slightly lower for the second group
- Set an average price for the third group
- Set a lower price for the last group
This method is particularly useful for companies looking to maximize their profitability based on the different price sensitivities of their potential customers.
- AIDA method
The acronym AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action and is often used to describe the process of persuading a prospect. This method has been used for many years and is often cited as one of the most effective methods for converting a prospect into a customer.
- Attention: The first step is to grab the prospect’s attention. To do this, it is essential to have a title or subject that captures his attention. For example, you can use a question, a surprising statistic or an interesting fact to attract attention.
- Interest: The second step is to arouse the interest of the prospect. For this, it is important to show that you understand the needs and problems of your prospect. You can also offer a solution or a benefit that may interest him.
- Desire: The third step is to create desire in the prospect. For this, you can highlight the advantages of your product or service. You can also use testimonials from satisfied customers or real results achieved by your customers to generate desire.
- Action: The final step is to get the prospect to take action. You can do this by offering an offer or incentive that encourages them to take a meaningful action, such as signing up for a free trial or scheduling a demo.
The AIDA method is very useful for structuring an effective prospecting message. It helps you focus on your prospect’s needs and wants and build a persuasive sales pitch.
- SBAM method
The acronym SBAM stands for Situation, Needs, Benefits, Means and is another very useful prospecting method.
- Situation : The first step is to understand the prospect’s situation. You can ask questions to understand his current situation and the challenges he faces.
- Needs : The second step is to understand the prospect’s needs. You can ask questions to understand the prospect’s specific needs and how you can meet them.
- Benefits : The third step is to highlight the benefits of your product or service to the prospect. You can explain how your product or service can solve the prospect’s challenges and improve their situation.
- Means : The last step is to explain how your product or service can be implemented by the prospect. You can explain the different purchase or implementation options and how you can help the prospect implement your solution.
The SBAM method is very useful for understanding your prospect’s specific needs and challenges and showing them how your product or service can help solve them.
Regardless of the prospecting method used, it is important for companies to follow certain basic rules to maximize their sales potential. Here are some tips for successful prospecting:
Establish a precise profile of your ideal client: before starting to prospect, it is important to have a clear idea of who the potential clients you want to target are. This allows you to better understand their needs and adapt your prospecting approach accordingly.
Use a personalized approach: Each potential customer is unique, so it is important to adapt your prospecting approach according to their needs and preferences. Using a personalized approach can better capture the attention of the potential customer and increase the chances of conversion.
Establish a relationship of trust: prospecting is not only about selling a product or service, but also about establishing a relationship of trust with the potential customer. This can be done by listening carefully to their needs, offering relevant advice or responding quickly to their requests.
Be persistent: Prospecting is a process that can take time and often requires several attempts to be successful. It is therefore important not to give up after a single contact and to show perseverance to achieve your goals.
By using these tips and combining different prospecting methods, businesses can maximize their sales potential and reach potential new customers. A solution such as SoContact.com can also help companies build an ultra-targeted prospect database thanks to its powerful filters allowing precise segmentation.
What is the best prospecting technique?
There is no prospecting technique that is best for all businesses. The best prospecting technique will depend on the products or services you sell, the market you operate in, your target audience and your sales goals.
It is important to note that prospecting is not only about selling a product or service, but also about establishing a relationship of trust with the potential customer. This can be done by listening carefully to their needs, offering relevant advice or responding quickly to their requests.
What are the tools of commercial prospecting?
Sales prospecting tools are resources that allow companies to better target their market and reach prospects more easily. There are several commercial prospecting tools, such as professional directories, social networks, marketing automation platforms, prospect databases, online advertising campaigns, professional events and trade fairs. These tools allow companies to better understand their market and adapt their prospecting approach accordingly.
What is a prospecting tool?
A prospecting tool is a resource that allows companies to better target their market and reach prospects more easily. Prospecting tools can be used to collect prospect data, to send prospecting emails or personalized social media messages, to plan business events, or to analyze prospecting results. Prospecting tools are often used in combination with other prospecting methods to maximize the effectiveness of business strategy.
Cold Mailing tools: SoContact, Lemlist, Woodpecker, Hunter.io
Cold mailing is a prospecting technique that consists of sending personalized emails to prospects. This method is very effective in reaching a large number of people quickly, but it is important to personalize the emails so that they are not considered spam. Here are some cold mailing tools:
- SoContact: this tool allows you to build a database of ultra-targeted prospects thanks to its powerful filters. It also offers advanced features to send mass personalized emails and analyze prospecting results.
- Lemlist: this tool makes it possible to personalize e-mails according to the characteristics of each prospect. It also offers advanced features to track opens and clicks on sent emails.
- Woodpecker: this tool allows you to send personalized e-mails in mass, but also to follow the responses of prospects and to schedule reminders.
- Hunter.io: This tool finds email addresses by scanning company websites. It also makes it possible to check if the e-mail addresses are valid before using them for prospecting.
Cold Calling tools: Aircall, Ringover, Toky
Cold calling is a prospecting technique that consists of calling prospects to present them with the products or services offered. This method requires good preparation and excellent active listening to convince prospects. Here are some cold calling tools:
- Aircall: this tool allows you to manage incoming and outgoing calls, record conversations and schedule callbacks. It also offers coaching features to improve sales rep performance.
- Ringover: this tool allows you to manage incoming and outgoing calls, but also to communicate via chat or video. It also offers call analytics features to improve the performance of sales reps.
- Toky: this tool allows you to manage incoming and outgoing calls, but also to schedule reminders and send SMS. It also offers reporting features to track the performance of sales reps.
Social Selling tools: SoContact, Rapportive, Sales Navigator
Social Selling is a prospecting technique increasingly popular with salespeople to reach prospects. This method consists of using professional social networks like LinkedIn, Viadeo or Xing to find and interact with potential prospects.
It is therefore essential to have the most suitable social selling tools to obtain convincing results. In this part, we will therefore introduce you to some social selling tools that could be very useful.
- SoContact is an automated prospecting tool on LinkedIn. With it, you can send out bulk invites, follow profiles, send direct messages, and even create LinkedIn ad campaigns.
This tool is very useful for those who want to maximize their time and effort while using a personalized approach. Waalaxy also allows you to track the performance of your prospecting campaigns and generate detailed reports.
- Rapportive is an extension of Gmail that allows you to find information about people who send you emails. It provides information such as the person’s LinkedIn profile, position, company, etc.
This tool is very useful for salespeople who want to learn more about their prospects and personalize their prospecting approach.
- Sales Navigator is a prospecting platform from LinkedIn. It helps you find prospects relevant to your business, track prospect activities, send them personalized messages, and create prospect lists.
Sales Navigator is a paid tool, but it’s great for sales reps looking to find qualified leads on LinkedIn.
In summary, Social Selling tools are essential for salespeople who want to maximize their time and effort while personalizing their prospecting approach. Waalaxy, Rapportive and Sales Navigator are very useful tools for salespeople who use LinkedIn as a prospecting channel.
Get organized as much as possible to prospect effectively
Prospecting effectively requires rigorous organization. It is important to plan your prospecting upstream by defining the objectives, the target, the message, the communication channel, the calendar and the budget. It is also important to set quantitative and qualitative objectives, monitor your results and analyze them to adjust your prospecting strategy accordingly.
Choose a CRM that will make your life easier
A CRM is an essential tool for effectively managing sales prospecting. It allows you to centralize all the information relating to your prospects and customers, to track the history of interactions, to schedule appointments, to create quotes and invoices, to generate reports and analyses. It is therefore important to choose a CRM that is easy to use, that offers the features you need and that is compatible with your other work tools.
Use your CRM to create prospect files
The CRM also allows you to create detailed prospect files by filling in all the information relating to your prospects. It is important to complete these sheets with qualitative information such as areas of interest, needs, expectations, obstacles, objections, etc. This will allow you to personalize your approach and create a relationship of trust with the prospect.
Create an effective prospecting strategy thanks to the prospecting plan
An effective prospecting strategy is crucial to achieving optimal results. It should be built around your target audience, business goals, and capabilities.
The prospecting plan is a management tool that allows you to monitor the implementation of your strategy. It should include details of each step, responsibilities, deadlines, budget, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
It’s important to focus on quality over quantity when creating your prospecting plan. Leads that are most likely to become customers should be your priority. To do this, you need to understand their needs, preferences, and behaviors.
Create your prospecting file
Creating a prospecting file is a crucial step in implementing your prospecting plan. You must identify and collect information about your prospects in order to be able to target them precisely.
There are several ways to create a prospecting file. You can purchase prospect lists from specialist vendors. However, this method is often expensive and inefficient because the prospects have not given their consent to be contacted.
A more effective method is to create your own prospecting file using information gathering tools, such as LinkedIn and SoContact. These tools allow you to find prospects based on specific criteria, such as their position, industry, and location.
Use a powerful sales funnel built internally
A sales funnel is a multi-step process that guides a prospect through the sales cycle. It generally includes the following stages: awareness, consideration, decision and action.
Creating a successful sales funnel is crucial to converting prospects into customers. It should be designed to reflect the behavior of your target audience and meet their needs.
It’s important to track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of your sales funnel. KPIs should be tied to clearly defined business goals, such as number of qualified leads, conversion rate, and amount of sales.
Conclusion
Prospecting is an essential part of any business that wants to grow and succeed. By identifying potential customers and reaching out to them, businesses can expand their customer base, identify potential problems in their sales process, and build long-term relationships with their customers. To master the art of prospecting, companies must prioritize quality over quantity, personalize their outreach messages, follow up regularly, and use multiple channels to reach potential customers. By following these best practices and using the right tools and resources, companies can improve their prospecting efforts and achieve long-term success.
If you want to build a database of ultra-targeted prospects, try SoContact. With powerful filters that enable precise segmentation, you can find the right prospects for your business and increase your chances of converting them into loyal, paying customers.
What is prospecting and why is it important for businesses?
What are the different types of prospecting?
How to develop an effective prospecting strategy?
How to choose the most suitable prospecting channels?
How to create relevant messages for prospecting?
How to measure the results of your prospecting strategy?
