1. Be methodical… and regular
Prospecting is a bit like sport: three sessions a week beat one marathon a year. Block fixed slots in your diary (one morning a week, for example) and protect them like a client meeting. Before each session, know who you are calling, why, and what you want to get: a meeting, a quote, a more relevant contact.
- Define your target: which types of customers, which countries, what size.
- Build your database step by step, rather than buying a list blindly.
- Set simple, realistic goals: a number of contacts or meetings per week.
2. Get a clear, effective CRM
A spreadsheet can do at first, but it quickly reaches its limits. A CRM (customer relationship management tool) lets you see in seconds where you stand with each contact. No need for something overly complex: what matters is that it is simple, that you actually use it, and that the whole team fills it in the same way.
- Clean contact records: name, role, company, contact details, source.
- Clear stages for each opportunity: first contact, meeting, proposal, won, lost.
- A few fields specific to your business: target markets, programming season, type of clientele.
3. Always, always set a follow-up date
This is the golden rule: no contact should sit in your CRM without a dated next action. After a call, an email or a trade show, immediately note when and how you will get back to them. Without that date, the contact goes cold, and a great opportunity goes to a more persistent competitor. Once the habit is formed, your CRM tells you every morning who to call.
4. Write down everything, absolutely everything
What seems obvious today will be forgotten in three months. Record every exchange: the summary of a call, the needs expressed, the assistant’s name, the objections, the personal detail mentioned at the end of the conversation. Paste your emails into the contact record, or better still, connect your mailbox to the CRM so everything is filed automatically.
The result: a remarkably complete history. You pick up a conversation where you left off, a colleague can take over without asking everything again, and your contacts feel that you really know them.
5. Sometimes, set your emotions aside
A “no”, radio silence, a slightly curt contact: it is part of the game, and it is almost never personal. The client may not have the budget this year, or may simply be swamped. Stay calm, stay courteous, note the reason for the refusal and plan a follow-up later. Conversely, don’t get carried away too quickly after an enthusiastic meeting: until it is signed, you keep following up.
6. Take stock regularly
Once a month, take a moment to look at your figures: how many contacts, meetings, proposals and signatures. You will quickly see which channels and messages work best, and where to adjust. Prospecting isn’t a chore to endure: it is a skill that sharpens over time.
