Sales prospecting tools and techniques: the essentials

In a competitive and changing market, customer needs and expectations move in a sometimes dizzying manner. Following them on their consumer journey and reaching them with the right tools becomes challenging.

We move in fast-paced environments and there are techniques that previously worked very well and today have low conversion rates, and vice versa. A good example is cold calling, which was one of the preferred sales prospecting methods to get new customers.

Today, earning the attention and trust of a potential client is more complicated. You must find a way to stand out more efficiently and less intrusively to make a sale and retain your buyers.

Here, the best sales prospecting techniques in 2023:

1. Create ideal customer profiles: You can’t create prospecting without knowing who your ideal clients are. Defining them is the first step you must take before committing any type of effort. You can create multiple avatars of ideal customers, based on demographics, geography, and behavior. In the case of B2B businesses, you may want to add the size of the company, the position of your ideal clients, etc.

2. Do a market study: You must know the universe you are targeting, what need you satisfy, and how your products or services resonate with different groups. You can test multiple audiences and monitor how they respond to what you offer. You must know what they do, where they are, what they read, etc. The more precise the definition, the better your teams’ prospecting will be.

3. Focuson warm calls:Unlike cold calls, they are a great resource when they are aimed at potential customers who have previously shown interest in your products or services. A little preparation can help your salespeople connect with their potential customers more easily, making the conversation more personal and increasing the chance of conversion. The script is key but so is the attitude. Well planned, they have a very interesting conversion rate.

4. Use personalized emails: Email marketing helps strengthen your relationship with your potential customers, directing them into the sales funnel effortlessly and naturally. They are a less invasive resource, allowing the client to take the time necessary to do their own study.

    

   With today’s marketing tools, you can easily personalize the content of these emails with the contact’s name, purchase history, birthday, and other information. Remember to use very visual and attractive CTAs, distributing the buttons and links in different places in the piece.

5. Take advantage of Linkedin: It is one of the most powerful networks for sales prospecting with B2B clients. It is important to periodically publish updates about your services, generate relevant relationships, monitor your competitors, etc. To get the most out of LinkedIn, you need to be active and proactive. Connections through this network have their own business etiquette: study it.

6. Participate in important events: Real events such as conferences, fairs, exhibitions, seminars, or congresses can be a great opportunity to generate more personal connections. These are inputs that can be very powerful in helping the sales team better understand the type of people they are targeting.

7. Request References and recommendations:Sales recommendations are a real boost that we sometimes underestimate. Ask your satisfied clients to recommend you, perhaps bringing them some benefit for the referral. According to recent studies, recommended customers have 4 times more chances of conversion, hence the rise of influencers.

8. Search partners: Collaborations are good allies of sales. Finding brands that complement your products and services can be a great way to boost your income in just a few months. Many times, the collective strength of two brands, which bring together and enhance their account-based marketing strategies, achieves better results than each going their own way.

9. Take advantage of automation:Sales prospecting is a time-consuming process if you have an interesting database. Relying on automatic solutions in those stages when it is better to do so is ideal to avoid burning out your team or wasting their hours on tasks that do not require it. Everything administrative, for example.

10. Stay tuned for innovation: The market is constantly launching new tools that adapt to changes in consumers and companies. Being attentive to market changes and training your sales team is essential in these times. Take away everything that is not necessary in their daily lives so they can focus on what they do best: selling.

As you will see, there is no single sales method that guarantees the best conversion rate because each business is unique. To decide which methods work best for you, consider factors such as the products or services you sell, the size of the business, and the demographics of your ideal customers. Little by little, you will find the most virtuous path for your business.