Time management is an ongoing challenge for almost everyone I know. This is no different for salespeople. The vital task of prospecting therefore must be well planned and scheduled. Since most salespeople like prospecting the least of all their duties, they leave it until last and don’t give it the attention it deserves. But prospecting is not a good thing to do when you are tired or frustrated, and it is too important to be left for last.
The key to time management is blocking time for activities and holding that time sacred. Salespeople need to look at their calendars and decide when they will conduct their prospecting. I recommend that it be done during the part of the day when the salesperson is at his best.
Salespeople need to ask themselves how many hours a week they spend prospecting and whether that amount of time is enough. Devoting the proper amount of time to looking for new clients is difficult, but it will make all the difference when a team member is trying to increase sales. The amount of time may vary but the minimum should be eight hours per workweek. That said, any increase in time spent prospecting will be beneficial.
Let’s revisit the definition of prospecting in order to clarify what activities should be prioritized. The word is not directly defined by Webster’s dictionary but leads to the word “explore,” and thus the following definition makes sense: prospecting (v), to make or conduct a systematic search; prospect (n), a potential customer, client, or purchaser.
So if a prospect is a potential customer, client, or purchaser and prospecting means to make or conduct a systematic search, then prospecting activities can include:
• A systematic search of your current clients to look for more business.
• A systematic search of their referrals to look for new business.
• Contacting all of the people you have met at networking events to determine if they need your solutions.
• Researching companies and gathering information so that you can contact them appropriately.
• Making calls from a lead list.
• Following up on direct mail that has been sent to prospects.
Here’s what a salesperson can do to improve his prospecting endeavors:
• Determine how much time he currently spends prospecting.
• Make a list of the prospecting activities he does.
• Look at the calendar for the next three weeks and block out time to prospect.
• After blocking time, keep records of the time spent prospecting.
• Keep records of each prospecting activity to determine which results in the most sales.
• Reward him—or encourage him to reward himself—for spending more time on prospecting.
If your salespeople are having a hard time finding the time to prospect, you will need to have them do what’s called a “time on task” survey for about a week. Simply have them write down every activity they do during the day. Once you have this information you can help them prioritize and eliminate activities so that they have the time to prospect.