| Hunters don't just wander through forests for the | | | | homework and learn what the profile of a profitable |
| annual prized deer, they are careful not to leave | | | | prospect is. In most cases our customer files |
| traces of his existence along the deer path. Hunters | | | | determine who our best clients are. If that is not |
| are careful not to use any man made scent that will | | | | available, then we can go to our friends in the |
| alert prey. Camouflage clothing hides them from their | | | | business and learn whom their best clients are. If a |
| sight. He walks the trail slowly, deliberately, aware of | | | | good client in one sector of the country requires |
| all the surroundings and looking for clues on the trail. | | | | someone's services then someone in our woods will |
| He is focused, listening and looking for signs that will | | | | probably need our services. These profiles are great |
| lead to a prime opportunity to seize at the right | | | | ways for associates in business to share prospect |
| moment. | | | | hunting information. |
| This article is about what to do when hunting for | | | | Validate and Verify Prospects |
| new business prospects. Now place yourself on a | | | | To begin this exercise, we should run a list of our top |
| quest for new and profitable prospects. You will find | | | | clients and examine them closely to determine what |
| that there are similarities between hunting for deer | | | | makes them different from similar businesses in their |
| and hunting for new business. For example, when out | | | | industry. What makes them unique? If they have |
| hunting for new business, we don't want the business | | | | items we can measure, those are the best to use. |
| to know we are looking for them. We may conceal | | | | For example, how many employees, what is their |
| our identity, as a salesperson, to gather more | | | | annual sales volume and how many members or |
| information. Just as the deer hunter doesn't run | | | | customers do they service? Is there a specialty they |
| through the woods yelling, "here deer, here nice | | | | are involved with? These are just a few suggestions. |
| deer". We won't do the same to announce our | | | | Once we have this list, we want to know what |
| presence either. Instead, we will quietly look for signs | | | | ways we can use to separate our list of similar |
| of a profitable prospect on the internet or through | | | | prospects. Some of this will be done over the |
| questions we ask, to confirm an ideal business | | | | internet. What ever remains on the list which we |
| prospect. | | | | can't separate, we need to ask them a few |
| Tracking for Footprints of Prospects | | | | questions over the telephone. One of the best |
| From the footprints of an animal, we can tell what | | | | sources for this, is to speak with a salesperson for |
| size they are. We can tell if they were running or | | | | the company. you know that they often love to talk |
| limping. The same is true with businesses, it might be | | | | and brag about their company. For example, ask |
| information published about their size, their mission | | | | yourself, what separates you from the competition. |
| statements, internet resources or just by asking the | | | | I'm sure you have an answer too. |
| receptionist about the company. Some businesses | | | | Once we have validated and verified our list to a |
| make available large footprints of information on | | | | short one we can target them more directly for |
| themselves. | | | | business and we won't be wasting our time. We will |
| We have to know what we are looking for, if we | | | | graduate to efficient prospect hunters. |
| are to be efficient hunters. We must do our | | | | |