Warning signs that you’re not doing enough prospecting.

Prospecting can help almost any salesperson enhance their performance. Prospecting takes up a substantial portion of a salesperson’s time when they are completely new to the company because they have no ongoing transactions to work on. However, if salespeople aren’t engaged and focusing on prospecting activities, they may fall out of the habit of prospecting on a regular basis. The difficulty is that being busy does not always generate more sales, leaving salespeople unhappy as to why their results aren’t increasing.

When asked how much their income would grow over the following 12 months if they invested 10-12 hours a week prospecting, the majority of salespeople believe it would double, some say triple, and nearly everyone believes it would increase by at least 25%.

So, if you’re wondering if you’re prospecting enough in your business right now, keep an eye out for these three warning signs that may suggest that you need to up your prospecting game.

Warning Sign #1

You’re still doing a lot of cold calling, not warm calling, after many years in the business.

If, after years in the industry, individuals still don’t know who you are when you call them, you’re not prospecting them enough to create the sorts of connections that can quickly lead to additional business. Many of the calls made by salespeople who prospect often become “warm calls,” meaning they are speaking with people they’ve already spoken with. So, if you’ve been in a particular industry for a while and aren’t getting a lot of warm calls, it might be because you’re not prospecting enough.

Warning Sign #2

You’re finding prospects with needs, but it’s too late to start working with them.

One of the worst scenarios a salesperson may have is this, y ou’ve found someone who is eager to help, but they’ve previously agreed to work with someone else…your competition. So why weren’t you in touch with these folks months ago when they first realized they needed to speak with a salesperson? It’s possible that it’s because you haven’t done enough prospecting throughout the year.

Warning Sign #3

You hear of deals closing in your market that you were completely unaware of.

If you learn through others that someone has bought, sold, or developed in the region you work in and you were unaware that the opportunity was available or that the individuals or firm were seeking a solution, it’s another clue that you’re not prospecting enough.

So, how did you do? Did any of these three warning signs seem to apply to you?

Prospecting is one of the most challenging activities for many of us to keep up with. Who wants to put yourself out there in a position where they can be rejected nine times out of ten or wind up chatting to individuals who aren’t interested in accomplishing anything at all?

The point is that the one call out of ten where individuals could be interested in doing something is the one that will bring you closer to your goals. 

So, take a look at where you are in terms of prospecting right now. And if you believe that prospecting for 10-12 hours or more every week will significantly increase your revenue, do whatever it takes to make sure you get this prospecting done.