Salespeople who succeed in acquiring new business lock in on a finite number of strategic targets, says Mike Weinberg, president of The New Sales Coach (newsalescoach.com) and author of “New Sales Simplified.” They are confident these prospects have been chosen for the right reasons, and they methodically work and rework that finite set of accounts.
But Weinberg says he frequently sits with salespeople to review their target accounts list and he is presented with a pile of folders, trade publications, a local business journal’s book of lists, and printouts from various databases or industry directories.
Many salespeople fail because they are too quick to change direction. Frustrated about not getting “a kill” with the first shot, they forget about all of the thought and prep work invested to create their original list. In frustration, they discard their lists and begin shooting in a completely different direction at a new set of targets. Typically, this redirection produces similar disappointing results, so they begin the cycle all over again, dooming their business development effort to failure.
Weinberg recommends each salesperson carry a written list of key prospects. That may seem out of step in an era in which we have embraced iPads, smartphones and comprehensive CRM systems, but it’s effective. “Scrolling through screen after screen of the CRM or thumbing through the page of an industry directory is not the same thing as pulling out a concise one-page list,” he says.
“I truly believe the very act of writing or printing out and posting a target list creates increased new business activity and improved results.”
