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Life Health > Running Your Business > Prospecting

Diets don't work and neither does inconsistent prospecting

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Adrian Miller Sales Training

If you’ve ever lost weight on a fad diet and quickly regained the pounds as soon as you returned to your usual way of eating, you know that diets don’t work. What the weight loss gurus and diet book authors don’t want you to know is that the only effective way to lose weight is through behavior modification. There is no quick fix, just simple changes that need to be implemented day in and day out.

Like dieting, prospecting in fits and spurts is equally as ineffective. There is no secret strategy that can be rapidly learned and executed. Consistency is the only way that you will achieve sales goals. Just like switching your diet from junk food to healthy meals, prospecting requires discipline and a good, sound strategy for the long-term.

Set a time for prospecting
You are far more likely to put in the time for prospecting if it is scheduled for the same time every day. For most, mornings are the best. You’re probably at your sharpest before lunch, and you’ll have more luck with making contact with those who you are trying to call. If you feel tempted to put it off for another day, remember that prospecting is your most productive activity that can generate you the biggest return on your time.

Have a daily goal
Once you know when you’re going to prospect, establish a set goal that you need to achieve. Whether it’s five or 50 people a day, stick with it.

Get organized
Effective prospecting requires excellent organizational and note-taking skills. Take advantage of useful lead management/sales prospecting software to help you keep track of who you’re contacting and where your prospects are in your sales funnel. Don’t rely on hand-written notes on bits of scattered paper, nor remembering details in your head. You’ll quickly get overwhelmed and will inevitably forget something. Organization is definitely a very necessary component to staying on track for the long haul.

Don’t get discouraged
Consistent prospecting is undeniably a big commitment. You will encounter ups and downs, and you will most certainly have those days when you’re tempted to not make your calls. However, staying the course and diligently doing what you need to do each and every day will help you find many new successes and enable you to better deal with the occasional defeats.


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