Finding new customers by prospecting can be costly in time and your marketing dollars unless you make it personal.
3 Aggressive Power Prospecting Techniques
Technique #1: Use the Magic Words – “Who do you know?”
Every customer you presently have knows someone who needs the products and services you sell. Your present satisfied customers have friends, family, colleagues, etc. who use your products and services and either do not know you sell those products and services or do not know the value you deliver.
All you have to do is ask them. “Who do you know?” First set up your question. Examples:
For the customer you just closed a sale with:
“Mr. James, as you know, I get most of my customers by being recommended. I know you are well respected in your community. Who do you know…”
“I know you have a lot of friends in both your business community and social community that I can also help with a great deal.”
For a long-time customer:
“Mr. Smith, we have been doing business together for over 5 years and I have always provided you with equipment and service that has helped you increase your profits (made your life easier) (increased your enjoyment of…)
After the set up just simply ask, “Who do you know I can also…?”
“Jim, we have been doing business together for over 5 years and you always tell me how satisfied you are with my products and personal service. I need your help. Who do you know I can also provide my top quality merchandise/service for?”
Or you can be more aggressive and assume your customer will help you and ask this way using choice questions.
“Jim, we have been doing business together for over 5 years and you always tell me how satisfied you are with my products and personal service. I need your help. Would it be more convenient for you to give me 4 or 5 referrals of your friends and colleagues now or shall I telephone your tomorrow for their names and contact information?”
However you decide to ask for referrals using the “Who do you know?” technique to boost your prospecting will keep your pipeline filled and increase your sales and profits.
Technique # 2: Use the Other Magic Words – “Do you know?”
We all have a list of prospects we know we can sell if only we had the opportunity to get in front of them. I have found the best way to get in front of them is to be recommended by someone they trust, like and respect. Those people are usually in the same business they are and you are selling to them now. So all you have to do is use the Other Magic Words – “Do you know….?” And when they say yes, all you do is ask them, by using a choice question, to introduce you and recommend you.
Example: “Bill, do you know Tom Jones over on the east side of town?”
Bill replies, “Yes.”
You say, “Great. As you know, most of my business comes from being referred by my satisfied customers. Which would be better for you, for us to telephone Tom Jones now so you can introduce me or telephone him tomorrow?”
Or more aggressive: “Which would you prefer, we set up a lunch meeting with Tom or we telephone him right now?”
I suggest you make a list of all the prospect you want to get in front of on the left side of a piece of paper and on the right side write down the names of your current customers you believe know them and can introduce you to them.
Technique # 3: Use the
You can spend a ton of money on all types of marketing and never receive a good return on your investment. To get a great return on your money and time investment market in the
The Magic Place To Market is anywhere your customers/prospects gather (hang-out). Visit and become members of their business associations, and become active in the groups. Don’t just show up for a few hours a month. Many of my clients find great success in also joining social groups to which their customers/prospects belong.
Here is a prime example:
Bob Macke, a client/friend of mine, who is a sales professional with Bobcat Enterprises of Cincinnati joined an association and attends meetings regularly. On one such occasion, while attending a seminar during one of the breaks, he went to a vending machine to buy a pack of crackers. He found himself in front of the machine fifty cents short of what he needed to buy the crackers. A man behind him in line at the machine recognized his problem and asked, “How much do you need?”
Bob replied, “Fifty cents.” The man handed Bob fifty cents.
Now for most people, even sales professionals, after saying thank you, that would have been the end of the story. But Bob Macke is an aggressive sales professional and takes advantage of every opportunity. While thanking the man Bob asked his name and asked for his business card. Turns out the man is a buyer for a company Bob has been trying to get an appointment with to sell them equipment.
The next day Bob went to the company’s offices and asked for his benefactor of the fifty cents. When asked what his business was for the visit Bob told the gate keeper he wanted to pay the man back the fifty cents. In a few minutes Bob was sitting in the buyers office handing him the fifty cents and thanking him. Then Bob said, “By the way, we have some equipment on special I think will save you a lot of money.” That was the start to a successful and profitable sale of $56,700. And since then, Bob has sold them additional equipment.
Bob would not have made these sales if he had not joined and attended the meeting his customers/prospects attend. Bob puts himself in front of his customers by using The Magic Place To Market – Where his customers/prospects are.
Give your prospecting a boost with these three Aggressive Power Prospecting Techniques
Bob Janet – Sales consultant/trainer, speaker, author of “Join The Profit Club” combines 40 plus years as owner/operator of professional, retail, manufacturing and service businesses with his unique teaching and storytelling ability to motivate, educate and inspire business professionals of all levels and all industries for increased sales & profits. Contact Bob at 704-882-6100, or e-mail Bob@BobJanet.com.
