I often hear that prospecting is the first stage in the sales cycle. That’s a big mistake. If you start by doing customer research, you’ll be able to find and focus on the most promising prospects instead of chasing leads that go nowhere.
To guide your research, define your ideal customer (also known as a buyer persona). This includes demographic traits like industry and business size, and psychological ones, like the motivations and challenges of target decision-makers.
Take a look at the characteristics of past customers to get this started, then get additional insights from online research. Set up Google alertsOpens in a new window for headlines about companies or individuals that mirror existing customers. Read headlines about target industries in trade publications. Track relevant industry keywords on LinkedIn. All of this will help you paint a better picture of what your ideal customer needs, and where you find them.
2. Prospecting
After doing your customer research, you can start prospecting. This afghanistan phone number list is when you reach out to the people or companies that match your buyer persona.
There are a lot of different ways to make that first prospecting connection — emails, cold calls, videos, events, and customer referrals. And then, of course, there are social media platforms like LinkedIn.
Start by following companies that fit your ideal customer profile. Then, look for contacts within that company and follow them on the social platforms they use most (likely LinkedIn). Comment on, like, and share their posts to show you’re interested. You can also catch their eye by posting useful content that addresses needs articulated in their posts. If you get a follow back or engagement after you’ve posted, shared, or liked their content, then send them a message introducing yourself and your company.
Another simple, powerful prospecting strategy is to do a Google search with their name and company to see if they’ve been featured in any articles, videos, or podcasts. Read or listen to whatever you find so you can identify a need or pain point you can use in your prospecting outreach.