How to Guarantee Failure in Prospecting

We traditionally tend to think about things from our own personal point of view as a salesperson - locate the decision-maker, evaluate needs, draft a proposal and get a decision. We want to control everything - not just the client, but also each stage of the process. In reality, prospecting is the equivalent of putting yourself in the shoes of the potential client and imagining at what purchasing phase the client currently finds himself. Nowadays this has become a fundamental factor, especially since organizations, the workforce and purchasing methods are constantly evolving. The rules of the game have drastically changed: there are few meetings - and those meetings that do take place are becoming increasingly short-lived. Meanwhile, competitive bids have become the norm. For this reason, it is important to be able to adapt yourself immediately to these changes.

Over the last five years we have held meetings with thousands of clients across many sectors and have observed three major causes of failure:

• Not arriving on the scene at the opportune moment
• Forcing the purchase decision or responding too simply to the demand
• Focusing all your efforts on a single client