by Will Rotondi
A lot of us are terrible multitaskers.
I suspect that’s why email prospecting is one of those activities that gets ignored altogether. It can take up a lot of your time (particularly if you confuse it with selling, or if it’s a new requirement in your position) when you already have several other items that need your attention.
So what do you do?
Fast Company lends some advice: learn how to prioritize. Don’t give every single task (whether you planned for it or were interrupted by it) equal attention in your daily calendar. Know what items to look at first, then go on to the next.
So, if prospecting is at the end of your to-do list, that’s okay – as long as it’s on your list.
Prioritizing is also important when you prospect by email. True, the more people you reach out to with a single message, the greater number of potential responses you’ll see. But you also want to make sure that you know which of those prospects are the most interested in what you have to offer, especially when they aren’t responding to you directly. That requires measuring their electronic engagement with your emails. Those who are engaging the most should receive more personalized messages from you that are brief, relate to their services, and prompt them for a call. Most importantly, mark your calendar to follow-up with them again the next week. Prioritize those follow-ups.
Prospecting may seem like a lot of work right now, but there are ways to adapt your mindset and your schedule so that it’s not only manageable, but will also lead you to new business conversations.
