Too many people think “prospecting” equals “cold-calling” and they have a negative attitude about it that sets the tone of the call before they even pick up the phone! You don’t like receiving cold calls, and you don’t like making them…so the downward spiral begins…you don’t prospect, your productivity drops, and 90 days out you don’t have a single thing in the pipeline. Ouch!
It doesn’t have to be this way! Turn your prospecting activities upside down, and instead of making cold-calls, decide to have conversations with people. It’s all about engagement! There is an old adage that says “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care,” and that is so true!
Here’s what you have to do. First, go through your CRM (you do have a client relationship management system, don’t you?), and categorize every single contact in your database as an A, B, C, or D lead.
• A = Current clients, active prospects who plan to buy/sell in the next 30 days, or people who’ve you’ve worked with in the past.
• B = Prospects who are 60-90 days away from making a decision.
• C = Leads who are more than 90 days out from buying or selling.
• D = People to be deleted – these are dead leads, people who will never give you a referral, people you don’t like and don’t want to work with. Get them out of your database and make room for people you do want to work with!
Now, that you have your contacts all categorized, set up a schedule where once a month you touch every person in your CRM. Touch your “A” leads the first week of the month, your “B” leads the second week of the month, and your “C” leads during the third week of the month. You’ll also send a newsletter or something of value in the mail on the fourth week to everyone in your database.
So now you’re thinking, how am I supposed to touch all these people each month? Well, it’s easy when you think about creating engagement, rather than asking for a referral. Here are some tips:
• Connect with your leads on Facebook, and every day pick five to ten people and make a comment on one of their posts. Don’t just “like” it—the goal is to build connections and deepen your relationship. Remember, people do business with people they know, like, and trust.
• Watch for news about your clients (and their families) in your community. If you see that one of their children won an athletic award, a spelling bee, or the local science fair, call and congratulate the parent on that achievement. Take it a step further and send a card to the child with a gift certificate for pizza or ice cream to congratulate them on their accomplishment.
• Add birthdays to your calendar, and make a quick call to wish them a happy birthday. If you haven’t added birthdays in your CRM, that’s a perfect reason for a touch. Simply call and say “Hi Joe, I’m updating my CRM and I don’t have your birthday noted. Can you give that to me so I can send you a birthday card?”
• Send your clients something of value each month. You can send coupons for a new restaurant in the neighborhood, information about changes in zoning happening in the area, or about interesting, local-owned businesses in the community. Think hyper-local and keep their interest with your knowledge about their neighborhood.
• Don’t forget to periodically drop by in person and leave a little gift at the door – perhaps a jar of jam from the farmer’s market, or other local gift, along with a handwritten note saying “thinking of you!”
By focusing your prospecting activities on building connection, you’ll have more fun, and develop better relationships at the same time. The consistency of these monthly touches will start to pay off quickly, and your pipeline will be full. Take the time to engage with your leads and build a relationship with them and watch your sales skyrocket!
For other great tips about connecting with prospects, download the ebook “86-50-1: The Ultimate Marketing Handbook.”
