In order to be successful in almost any area of life, one has to have the courage to take on risks and the resilience to withstand difficult times. Nothing in life comes easy, and so it is with prospecting. Maintaining a successful practice takes motivation, desire, talent, and a constant state of preparedness. Prospecting is like a chess game in the sense that success begins with decisive and correct moves that require constant planning, skill, and discipline to gain the advantage. However, the belief that once the Advisor adheres to some type of prescribed model for prospecting, the benefits will be great, only tantamount to wishful thinking. I am not insinuating that the Advisor will never be triumphant in the continuous search for individuals and firms to purchase their services. I am simply suggesting that sometimes, no matter what the Advisor does, things may never turn out victoriously. Relying on a stated model in order to achieve success suggests that the onus lies solely upon the Advisor, when the truth is, the advisor has no control over how individuals think and perceive things to be. Sometimes, it is for reasons beyond the Advisor’s control why a sale never occurs. In that regard, prospecting is not an easy undertaking.

In the sales process, prospecting involves identifying potential customers. It is important to have good communication to build good relationships with customers.

The Laws of Differentiation

The professional advisor will also have to differentiate their practice on the grounds of specific criteria and learn to ride that wave all the time. Not only will the Advisor master the art of differentiation, but also understand how to achieve measurable results at each stage of the buying process. The idea of prospecting connotes the idea of continuity; hence, it is like a chain reaction in that the Advisor will have to continually practice the skill of being comfortable in communicating this positioning strategy in a comprehensible manner to the desired prospect. Are you prepared for this?

Prospect’s Perception

After differentiating your service from all the others, carefully planning your next move, studying and knowing your sales script inside out and knowing how to handle all the objections that you may come up against, there will be another crucial factor to take into consideration. What is the prospect’s perception of you, your organization, and the service you offer? What can be done about that? I commend anyone for taking on the task of selling anything, from a simple item such as candy to selling financial services. The individual that is actively involved in seeking out individuals to purchase products has to optimize how potential clients perceive them. They must know the skill involved to shift client perception to the most advantageous representation as is possible. Will you be able to refocus your prospect’s attention in the most advantageous way all the time?

Customer Relations Strategy

Not only will the Advisor concentrate on a differentiation strategy, but also a prospect relationship strategy. This emanates from an understanding of the behavioral buying process of the prospect. It encompasses not just awareness, but an understanding of the science behind how individuals and organizational movers behave while buying. Essentially, creating a standard for your practice by making your customers feel like royalty is largely about how the Advisor engages them by listening attentively to body language and getting prospects ready for the sale. The idea is to generate a connection with the potential client and this is no easy task especially when you are a talker and are anxious to talk about the fine service you offer.

On the other side of the spectrum, constant calling on prospects is draining, it literally burns you out and in most cases annoys your prospects too. Is there anything more humiliating than facing the constant barrage of rejection that is associated with prospecting? The good news in all this is that prospecting is in fact difficult, but not at all impossible. We must have perseverance and above all, the confidence that we can do it and reap exponential rewards.

Make This Article Work

In reading the above text, did some ideas occur to you that motivate you to do additional research or to change your business practices? If so, don’t waste this sensation. Take a single sheet of paper (or enter directly into your computer) and transcribe the next steps to take. And then schedule a decision and action date — within three weeks.

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