New entrepreneurs: if you want to be good at sales, research your prospects before you ever contact them. SO MANY sales people, usually younger but always inexperienced, send me a LinkedIn DM and ask me a question that’s plainly answered in my bio. If only they would bother to read my bio…!
It used to irritate me, but now I realize that they’re trying – they just don’t know any better. So, I’m telling you.
“Spray and pray” doesn’t work. Do this instead:
Research your potential prospects. Your contact list should consist only of people who need your product or service. Example: someone who sells cybersecurity training courses tried to contact me today. If they had taken the time to read my bio, they’d see I’m a bit beyond the entry-level stuff they’re peddling to people who are trying to begin a career in cybersecurity.
Push the indirect approach far away. Don’t use it. Don’t touch it. Don’t even think about it. Much better: “This is the product or service that I have to offer. Are you interested?” The indirect approach is great in speeches, books, and movies. When you use it in sales, it makes you appear deceptive. Maybe you don’t mean to be deceptive. Maybe you’re just new to sales. Be proud of your product or service – it’s all you’ve got to sell. So get it out there, first thing.
DO NOT keep pestering a disinterested prospect. Example: “Did you get my last message?” Yes, they did, and you know it. Email systems and LinkedIn DMs are both very reliable. The prospect didn’t reply because they’re not interested. Your unsolicited message doesn’t create a social obligation for them to reply. The prospect owes you nothing.
If you’re running out of targeted prospects and feel like returning to the “spray and pray” method, either one of two things is happening.
THE FIRST POSSIBILITY is that your target market is too small. Some products simply aren’t viable. A very niche product or service can only be sold at a very high price, because there are so few customers. If you’re selling a low-cost niche product and can’t make enough sales, the person who hired you is using/abusing you. Get out now.
THE SECOND POSSIBILITY is that you need to stop, think, and get creative. There may be an adequate number of qualified prospects out there, and you’re new enough that you haven’t developed the skills to find them. “Spray and pray” isn’t an effective substitute. You’ll sell a lot more by targeting qualified prospects than you ever will be blasting everyone who comes up in a keyword search. “Spray and pray” is for selling canned soup on TV – not for the high-caliber product or service that you’re offering. Be resourceful and figure out how to find those good prospects.