by Will Rotondi
Do you like to fail? Of course not! From a young age, you were probably taught that if you failed, or made a mistake, or didn’t do things exactly right, there would be undesirable consequences – i.e. grounded because of poor behavior, or retaking a class because of poor grades.
When you entered the workforce, the idea was still there, but with added responsibilities to your colleagues and your company, not to mention your personal reputation, finances, and family.
With that much seemingly on the line, it’s no wonder salespeople loathe prospecting. It’s time-consuming grunt work just to find someone who’s willing to have a conversation with you. Not even buy from you – just talk. And for all of that effort, most will probably tell you “no thanks,” which feels a lot like failure.
The problem is being able to take a large pot of potential prospects (in manufacturing, financial, technology, you name the industry) and gauge who among them is ready to have a conversation. You can do this when you marry your email outreach with prospecting automation: use short, informative emails that a) find and verify who the best people are to speak with, b) solidify your authority in their marketspace, and c) ask them for conversations.
You might be surprised who your ideal prospects turn out to be.
