Prospecting file - Definition

La prospecting is a process that requires a optimal preparation. It is therefore necessary that the sales team elaborates one prospecting file. One commercial strategy can only be effective if the database of identified leads is Relevant.

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What is a prospecting file?

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Prospecting file - Definition

A prospecting file is a database which forms the commercial's work base. It is a multi-purpose tool.

It is used to List and fill in Of potential customers, launch and manage one prospecting campaign but also follow the evolution canvassing. This document will gather all the information you need to develop a campaign.

It is a file that goes To get rich as the interactions with the various prospects are carried out. It must therefore constantly be Up to date In order tooptimize follow-up prospecting throughout the sales cycle.

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What is the role of the prospecting file?

A prospecting file brings together all the useful information concerning a list of prospects. Prospects are individuals who are likely to correspond to the offer of a company but which have not yet been converted into customers.

The information collected is intended to inform the salesperson about the type of profile of the prospect and to allow him to Contact quickly.

The aim is to achieve prioritizing interesting profiles and better target campaigns. The salesperson must be immersed in needs, stakes, cravings of the consumer for personalize your approach.

La prospecting is essential for a business. This data is used to identify his sales opportunities and therefore evaluate his turnover.

How to create your own prospecting file?

There are a multitude of SaaS channels To build a prospecting file B2B or B2C. Each approach can be interesting because allows to identify and touch Different hearings in a personalized way. Depending on theventure And of sound workings, some strategies may be more adapted than others.

• Use your network

It is a simple solution and which can be very effective. Thanks to contacts already acquired (via school, professional or associative experiences...), it is possible to createinterplay. These individuals Relatives can be interesting targets. The immediate link that is already established Encourages a relationship of trust. THEprospecting effort is less and the effect of recommendation can multiply on a large scale.

• Choosing a pre-made external database

Some databases can be found on a daily basis in self-service: a directory, a publication, subscribers... However, it is advisable to prefer online prospecting files With a regular update. Indeed, most contact information is very quickly out of date.topicality.

• Targeting your prospects through marketing

Today, many technological tools allow Hunt down the users that interact with your content. This may concern site visits Or clicks on an offer. It is then possible to retrieve this data, Find the profiles as well as the Contacts Of individuals. This approach has the advantage of target and segment of the people who testify have a interest for business.

What should a prospecting file contain?

Expected information may be Different from one company to another based on sector of activity Or marketed products/services.

In the same way, the information contained in the lead files will not be the same in a prospecting file. BtoB or BtoC.

In general, they are relatively Similar and contain: names, first names, email addresses, phone numbers prospects.

For each individual, we will also find details concerning their profession Or the Name of his business.

To be effective, the sheet must give enough Information for the seller to understand commercial interest of this profile and can the Contact.

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What are the different types of prospecting files?

There are various types prospecting files. Each of them is a work base different for the process of commercial prospecting With each its pros and inconveniences.

• Internal prospect files

These are files that are generally created from a existing customer database. We often talk about a file powered mostly by the network of the company: its former customers, the visitors to his site, his professional contacts... Generally enough Relatives, they are likely toInteract more often and to be more receptive to the offer.

• The files of purchased prospects

It is a file of prospects purchased or rented With a data provider external. These files include general information Of external contacts likely to be Interested. This release of roster is generally carried out according to basic criteria geographical location (France, others etc...), sector of activity or size of the company for example.

• Files from commercial efforts

The profiles Interested or Interesting can be identified everywhere. That is why the company can have multiple sources of prospect files.

For example, it can generate a file from its online marketing efforts (newsletter subscription, interactions on networks, content downloads).

It can also recover contacts During a happening (participation in a trade show, conference or webinar).

The excel prospecting file

A prospecting file on Excel brings together, often in the form of tableau, all the informations regarding prospects. Organized in columns, we find key data such as the Name of the company, the contact name, theemail addressL, the phone number, the sector of activity, the size of the company, the Sourceand prospecting and the prospecting status.

THEperk of Excel is the possibility of personalize And of Filter as required. An Excel file is easily adaptable so that it lasts and is refreshed throughout the process of prospecting and even qualification.

This tool makes it easy to understanding data but also theanalysis of results. Indeed Excel has numerous Tools of aAnalysis or layout in order to perform regular balance sheets On the Situation of prospects Or of the canvassing campaign.

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How do I create a prospecting file?

Create a good prospecting file Is a key step. For salespeople, it is this support that will allow them to manage All the process of prospecting. It brings together all the important information as well as the major advances. It is important to create it very carefully so that this work base either Coherent and Productive.

What are the steps in creating a prospecting file?

One prospecting file can be achieved by following various steps :

• Step 1. Define prospecting goals

Before creating a prospecting file, it is important to Define goals In a way specifies and Claire. This may include the targeted market segments, the type of offer to be promoted, the geographic area concerned or the Expected results. This work helps structuring the strategy by choosing responders And techniques Who will be adapted to needs.

• Step 2. Identify information and verify sources

Once the determined goals, it's time to choose the method The most Relevant to get prospect lists. There are millions of different sources: professional databases, of business directories, of trade shows, of networks, of partnerships, of recommendations from former customers etc... Gathering information is not the most difficult step in view of the many channels existing. However, you must make sure you have relevant contacts for the offer and whose information is checked.

• Step 3. Determine the tool to store data

Depending on the size of the company, recommended tools may vary.

For a TPE Or a SMES, the number of customers to manage will be less important. Therefore, they can use softwares easy to access such asExceThe yes Google Sheets.

However, a plus big business will sometimes have to subscribe to softwares plus efficient With capacities And functionalities plus Powerful (and higher prices).

• Step 4. Create the customer file, collect and organize data

Once the necessary lead data has been collected, the sales team must organize In thedatabase management tool selected.

The file is segmented and layout According to the criteria of the company. This work of categorizing is important. Organize and prioritize the data will allow easier access to personal and professional information. The aim is also to facilitate The work ofparses on these same data in order to ensure that the prospecting process is of high quality.

• Step 5. Maintain the file regularly

In order to maintain a optimal productivity And satisfactory results, it is necessary to ensure that the data collected Be Precise, Up to date and Complete. The sales team must ensure that they keep the readable file and exploitable.

• Step 6. Train marketing and sales teams

Once the tool is created, all you have to do is train and raise awareness The marketing and sales stakeholders On his utilizing. Each individual must be able to use it And the understand for an optimal prospecting process.

By following these steps, it is possible to create a prospecting file sturdy. Ce strut is needful to manage effectively The prospecting activities and reach the business goals.

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How do you qualify a customer file?

La Qualification of customer files is a key part of the marketing strategy of a company.

For qualify a customer file, the salesperson must first gather and classify The customer information depending on some criteria predefined. This segmentation Can be done manually or automatically, according to the waistline of the database and the available resources.

Thanks to informations collected during the construction of the prospect file, the commercial understands better customers and interacts more effectively with them.

Afterwards, he will be able use this information (needs, desires, challenges) in his sales pitch And its swaps with prospects. This personalized business approach aims to convince The prospect to join the offer. If he ends up in the speeches of the commercial, he will be able to close a sale. Once qualified, the prospect becomes a shopper.

The main objective is to better position efforts of marketing and of personalize communication strategies A good qualification Maximize theefficiency marketing campaigns. Customers are more Satisfied and Loyal, the conversion rate is improving and the company is gaining notoriety And in turnover.

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How do I create a customer follow-up chart?

After building a prospecting file, create a tracking chart Is a necessary step to manage the customer conversion process.

• Determining follow-up goals

Depending on needs and objectives of the company, the commercial strategy may change. The objective is to find relevant indicators to the company's activity and approach (sales, values, conversion rate, KPI...).

• Choosing a suitable monitoring tool

It is possible to create a table via a data management software or in a spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets etc...).

• Organize data

After having verified The data, the salesperson can export his prospecting files in his CRM and other software. It is possible to shape its TTable according to color codes and to create graphs In order to facilitate The understanding And theparses data. To have a reliable work base, it is also necessary to maintain this table Up to date.

FAQ: Building your commercial prospecting file

How do I get a free customer file?

It is entirely possible to establish a prospecting file without investing In expensive tools and projects.

The company can first use LinkedIn, the first professional social network. Indeed, this platform brings together lots ofusers by informing their professional situation And their interests (sector, post...). It is relatively easy to use your network And its search functions to Build a list of prospects interesting. THEalgorithm regularly offers similar profiles to those who are interested in the company.

Where can I buy prospecting files?

For Save time and In productivity, a business may decide to use paid options.

A business can buy or rent customer prospecting files. This way of proceeding is almost Immediate. The uploading And theexportation of these databases are very simple and allow the rapid development of the information and coordinates collected.

Another way to get a relevant prospecting file is to subscribe to the paid version of LinkedIn, LinkedIn Sales Navigator. This function gives access to more thaninformations And additional features for prospecting.

What is file qualification?

La file qualification is a process that consists of evaluate one profile of prospects according to defined criteria.

The objective of the qualification is to determine the relevancy of the file as potential customer. Depending on informations gathered together, the salesperson can check if the prospect represents a sales opportunity or not. The purpose of this work is to pass only files from interesting prospects And so skilled. The aim is to take informed decisions and to gain in productivity. By focusing your time on complete files and adapted to the offer of the company, the commercial optimizes her commercial strategy and Increase your chances to find customers.

How to do a prospecting analysis?

THEprospecting analysis Is a essential step in the commercial prospecting process. It consists of evaluate and to parse The scores prospecting efforts.

At regular intervals, it allows you to follow the evolution of the canvassing campaign.

To do this, the salesperson retrieves various metrics (like the conversion rate for example) and Compare the results aux goals set by the company.

Depending on the performance, of tweaks can be initiated. Thus, the sales team optimizes its strategy and understands more the process of prospecting.