How to Fit in with Your Prospects
By John Aberle | Prospecting , Sales and Marketing , Soft Sell
This squirrel blends in with his environment due to natural camouflage.
The First Step Is to Decide Who Your Ideal Prospects Are
To really help yourself get established in your sales and marketing efforts, study up on your ideal customers’ market or industry. While you may have several different ideal customer profiles, pick one that you are most interested in, one which has a sizable potential for sales. Becoming an expert in an industry takes time and effort so be smart about your choice. Remember, your ideal prospects are companies like your best customers because they are most likely to have needs like those you are solving already.
Next, Learn about Their Industry or Market
Once you choose where you want to initially focus, start reading up as much as you can about it. Naturally, the Internet has a wealth of information on almost everything imaginable. The problem is that not all of it is accurate or true so you need to read broadly. A great source of information is to get a subscription to industry publications, most of which are free to people in that industry, including vendors. Also, get involved in one of the trade associations – one to which the people you want to contact actually attend.
Your Goals for this Research
There are at least three purposes to your doing this research and getting involved in a low key way: Continue reading