Selling begins with prospecting – the search for and qualification of potential customers. There are three types of prospects. A lead is the name of a person who may be a possible customer. A prospect is a customer who wants or needs the product. If the individual wants the product, can afford to buy it and is the decision maker, this individual is a qualified prospect.
Leads and prospects are generated using several sources. Finding creative ways to generate prospects can be challenging, but remember you will have success with prospects if you:
- Can articulate the value of your product effectively without a lot of pressure
- You have developed a demographic of your prospect and know as much as you can about who you are trying to sell to; and
- You are always looking for opportunities to speak about what you do
