Getting too comfortable in your lead generation often puts you at risk for losing business, because you assume you’ll always have a) your clients, b) your staff, and c) your funds. Change is inevitable, and you should prepare for the day when you temporarily lose one or all three of these. That can include how you choose to prospect.
Think of it like keeping your body in shape. Sure, you may have made it through most of your younger years eating a less than stellar diet, and choosing when or when not to exercise, and your body forgave you. But if you’ve found that your waistline is now a little wider than you’d prefer, you know it’s time to act. You also know that that action isn’t often easy, especially when you aren’t sure what training you need, how much or how little you should be doing each day, and how you’ll be able to gauge whether your actions are having a positive effect.
From a prospecting standpoint, that could be a decent chunk of time: one month, three months, six months, a year…more? It depends on what you offer, and when prospects are ready to buy. Keep in mind that this is for leads who are already in your normal pipeline, without including the time it took to find them as prospects and confirm that they were even a fit.
This may all seem daunting if you focus on everything. Again, think of it like your health, and establish a routine. Treat your body well each day, and you get a little leaner. Prospect each day, and you get people closer to those new business conversations. That isn’t to say that you should feel overwhelmed—simply that a degree of discomfort is necessary to keep you from getting complacent.
