What is prospecting? Definition and techniques in 2024

‍Prospecting Is the action of targeting potential customers, to contact them with commercial approach techniques in order to turn them into customers. The objectives are thus the definition of a target customer and the collection of data, then the establishment of an action plan and a contact strategy: via an email, a message, a call or even the creation of online content. It is often practiced by Business Developers.

Needless to say that it is at the heart of Akimbo Bootcamp to become a Business Developer. Take the opportunity to discover it!

What is commercial prospecting? Definition and techniques

What is commercial prospecting? Definition

Commercial prospecting is the process of looking for new business opportunities for a business. This includes researching and analyzing potential customers, as well as identifying market trends and opportunities for the company's products or services. There are multiple prospecting methods (Outbound and Inbound dirty).

Commercial prospecting is generally done by sales professionals and is often accompanied by tools such as prospecting plans, customer files and files, etc. Akimbo supports the mastery of all prospecting tools and processes.

What is a customer? What is a prospect? What is the difference?

The main difference between a lead and a customer is in their status and their level of commitment.

Prospects are the result of a generation of leads obtained via social networks and marketing campaigns that correspond to target segment of the company and Has potentially already traded with salespeople, without getting involved.

Customers are highly interested prospects by the structure and its activity and who are already at an advanced stage of signing a sale, or have already purchased.

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What is direct prospecting?

It is a commercial technique based on the idea of contact prospects directly in order to make them customers. In particular, this involves a Call, messages On the social networks or on LinkedIn or even go directly to the field to create an interaction with the prospect and present the product and the company to them in person. Quite traditional, this method makes it possible to reach short-term goals more quickly.

What is indirect prospecting?

Indirect prospecting consists in developing a certain image and online presence of the company through the content creation or an email to attract prospects and collect data to contact them. By using CRM tools, we define the target customer and we establish an effective marketing strategy to put in place the actions necessary to push them to buy. It is therefore a more suitable technique for achieving long-term goals.

What is the main objective of prospecting?

It is a process that allows both to align sales and marketing. Indeed, a good commercial strategy that results in a relevant campaign makes it possible to generate enough leads to ensure multiple sales opportunities, and therefore a good conversion rate. By finding interesting prospects, you create a substantial customer database, and you can thus gain a place of choice in the market against competitors.

How to do commercial prospecting?

To successfully prospect, it is important to define a action plan concrete and to be flexible when faced with difficulties. When you want to establish yourself on the market, you must first of all be well Determine who your potential customers ares, but also choose the approach tactic the most suitable and the good tools to easily close the sale with the prospect.

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What are the steps of commercial prospecting?

Therefore, a prospecting plan in order to be effective and maintain a high conversion rate. This procedure is a good way to achieve its commercial goals and to form a solid lead base, who can be contacted again at any time if they are not ready to sign the sale at any time.

Step 1: Determine the target (Buyer Persona and ICP)

Many salespeople overlook the Definition of a target customer, even though it saves time and money. It is thus a question of determining who are the ideal customers, in other words those who are genuinely interested in the brand and its products. This will allow later to adapt its marketing techniques And sales methods to find out which channels and what type of priority messages. Of course, this information can be changed and refined over time, by learning more about prospects.

Step 2: Build a database, the prospects file

Once you have established your ICP, you must then generate leads using commercial techniques of direct or indirect prospecting, then bring together the information collected In a prospecting file which will be the database for future contacts. To ensure that the prospect is aligned with our definition of the target customer, it is important to go through a research phase By the way by LinkedIn or by other CRM tools guaranteeing that it meets a minimum of criteria.

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Step 3: Prepare your prospecting and your message

La researching is also a key element in perfecting your message and your tactics for approaching prospects. En analysing the centers of interests and the needs of your prospects thanks to these Customer Relationship Management tools and to their online presence, we can obtain essential information to adapt its commercial prospecting technique. Have common connections on LinkedIn can also be a good way to naturally start a conversation with a lead.

Step 4: Plan slots dedicated to prospecting

Reserve dedicated moments for yourself Establishing a prospecting strategy and implementing lead generation and contact action plans is crucial to achieving sales goals. Depending on business needs, the process can be repeated daily or weekly, but it must necessarily find its place in the salespeople's schedule. From one month to the next, you must also reserve a time slot for reassess your business methods and their effectiveness.

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Step 5: On D-Day, be attentive, empathetic and persistent

When it comes time to get in touch with prospects, you have to adapt your message and approach technique according to its interests and those of the company. It is necessary to be attentive, empathetic and persistent: commercial discourse should not be too direct, and aggressive marketing is far from being the best technique. Make this first contact a real exchange and Encourage leads to talk about their needs and desires without urging them is a good way to arouse their interest and sign one to several sales in the long term.

Step 6: Organize a good follow-up of prospects

After contact has been established, maintain a good relationship with prospects is what makes them customers. This is done in several steps: by continuing to use CRM tools to exchange with them, and by evaluating the quality of interactions for perfect sales techniques and processes. However, it is important to keep in mind that not all prospects will become customers, and when you lose too much time and money convincing potential buyers, it is sometimes better to give up and look for new ones, by possibly reevaluating the definition of ICP.

To learn how to effectively follow these prospecting steps, discover our commercial training.

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What are the different prospecting types or strategies?

There are numerous prospecting techniques that make it possible both to generate a new lead who has not yet heard about the company and its activity, or to Recontact a potential customer With which we have already been able to talk. So here are some examples of actions that can be implemented in a prospecting strategy:

Cold Mailing: commercial prospecting by e-mail

Send a email (cold mailing technique) is a way fast and inexpensive to look for new customers. By building a template that works, we can create a large-scale campaign and collect a lot of data, while preparing the lead for a possible call. By using data from its CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and tools like Lemlist, we can create an ideal message which highlights the benefits of the company's product, but also analyzes the responses received.

Cold Calling: commercial prospecting by telephone

Although often overlooked, calls Allow to get in touch immediately with potential buyers and can be very effective. Since it is estimated that 69% of customers accept calls, it is important to establish a communication plan at this level.

Unlike emails, telephone prospecting offering a personalized approach and a more human conversation, less focused on the product. The ideal is thus to train the salesperson to guide the conversation ingeniously to involve the customer by listening to them and knowing how to answer their questions.

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‍Social Selling: digital prospecting through social networks - LinkedIn

In the context of B2B sales, potential customers are generally all on LinkedIn, and it's very easy to get in touch with them and their send a message directly on the platform. However, it is sometimes complex to stand out in your approach. Working on a short and effective LinkedIn message will therefore be a good way to arouse the curiosity of a target lead and to collect data to call them later. Because it is a fairly recent practice, it may be useful to read the Definition of social selling as well as our tips for getting started.

Commercial prospecting in the field

It is entirely possible to canvass a customer on site, by going to your place of business in the case of a B2B sale, or via door-to-door for B2C. Very direct, it is a strategy that allows you to interact with the lead and to meet him to create a more human and in-depth conversation from the start. The salesperson can spend more time presenting themselves and the product.

However, it should be noted that the land prospecting takes more time and does not necessarily prove to be effective, because many individuals do not appreciate impromptu visits and canvassing.

Commercial prospecting during events

One commercial event is, on the contrary, the ideal place to present the brand and its product and to approach new buyers. This allows the structure to Make a place for themselves in the minds of consumers and to communicate directly with them to better understand their expectations and needs. However, this strategy has its limits since it can be difficult to stand out from competitors by being together in the same place.

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What are the prospecting methods?

In most businesses, prospecting is the starting point of sales. But there are lots of ways to reach customers. Whether you need to create a prospecting plan from A to Z or simply want to review your current strategies, here are different effective techniques to find new consumers.

What is a prospecting method?

It is a strategy that allows the salesperson to Generate a lead and to increase its performance by increasing efficiency in its approach and sales process. The objective is To establish contact with a potential buyer in order to talk to him about the product and encourage him to take an interest in it, and to sign a sale, while following a well-defined methodological structure.

BEBEDC method

Focused on active listening rather than passive listening, it aims to create a real relationship with the potential buyer and to understand their deepest needs in order to try to meet them. This acronym for the words Need, Challenge, Budget, Deadline, Decision Makers and Competitors gives a method for interviewing prospects. It allows you to better understand all the modalities of your situation and thus be able to adapt your commercial speech to alleviate all his doubts.

AIDA method

Ideal in the digital marketing, this strategy is renowned for its effectiveness because it allows you to quickly capture the buyer's interest, especially by email or on a landing page. AIDA Is the acronym of the words Attention, Interest, Desire and Action, which correspond to the different phases that an individual goes through when making a purchase decision.

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4x20 method

Les 4x20 rather correspond to a rule and to a way of conceiving the exchange with a potential buyer, since they refer to the First 20 seconds, to the first 20 gestures, to the first 20 words and to the first 20 centimeters. It is therefore a question of taking care of your entry without entering the vital space of the interlocutor, and to ensure that Make a good first impression : the first sentences and the image we send back are indeed decisive in how we will be perceived by the customer.

SBAM method

A genuine form of courtesy, The SBAM method refers to imperatives of service and interpersonal skills when you are a salesperson, namely the Smile, Good Morning, Goodbye and Thank You. It is a question of using not only polite formulas, but also of being dynamic, enthusiastic and caring to approach a lead and to be sure to convey a positive and relaxed image during the exchange.

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BANT method

Rather aimed at B2B sales, it is a good way for the salesperson to focus on a genuinely interested lead and ready to sign the sale, rather than wasting time in processes that drag on with individuals who are not sure to buy. This English acronym is interested in Budget, Authority (authority), Need (Need) and Timing (temporality) and considers that a potential buyer meets at least three of these criteria.

What is the best prospecting technique?

A prima facie, there is no no techniques that are better than others : the important thing is to focus on a action plan that suits the company and its needs. Depending on the type of sale (B2B or B2C), the size of the structure (start-up, SME or international group), the type of product you sell, the number of customers you are looking to approach and the financial, technological and human resources of the company, the financial, technological and human resources of the company, the best way to adopt will not be the same.

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What are the tools for commercial prospecting?

To approach customers more effectively and more quickly, there are many software, templates and other technological means for facilitate exchanges but also parse For the optimize, throughout the sales process.

What is a prospecting tool?

In the age of digital marketing, a prospecting tool is very useful to help the Sales Representative adapt your approach, but also at Know when to solicit and relaunch your lead. The purpose of the tool is above all to allow him to boost his productivity and his turnover by helping him find potential buyers, to centralize customer data and to simplify the task of the process, in particular through systems for automating prospecting actions.

Cold Mailing tools: Lemlist, Woodpecker, Hunter.io, etc

To pre-heat email addresses who have not yet had exchanges with a salesperson and to improve written exchanges, Lemlist, Woodpecker or Hunter are very good options. Hunter thus allows you to find new addresses to canvass and Lemlist and Woodpecker are used for creation of a personalized email campaign and automatic ones whose opening and click rates can thus be monitored to analyze their performance.

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Cold Calling tools: Aircall, Ringover, Toky, etc

The software of Cold Calling or phoning are particularly useful for schedule phone appointments, record calls, take notes or even send text messages to a lead just before or just after the exchange. Aircall is particularly ideal for improving the quality of exchanges by analysing the call; Ringover allows note taking and call tags, while Toky offers a Power Dialer and call tracking.

Social Selling tools: Waalaxy, Rapportive, Sales Navigator, etc.

Marketing online can be very tedious when you don't know where to start, how to contact the right people. This is where the social selling tool comes in: Waalaxy Use LinkedIn to collect email addresses professionals and the contacts of the employees of a structure, while Rapportive allows you to consult directly the LinkedIn profile of an individual to learn more about their identity and career without leaving Gmail.

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Organize yourself as much as possible to prospect effectively

Choosing a CRM that will make your life easier

A good tool is fundamental for collect data necessary to sign sales: this makes it possible above all to memorize the exchanges and to classify them. By analyzing how a buyer heard about the company and its product and measuring where they are in the stages of the purchase decision, this tool also allows you to know what channels and what types of customers prioritize to avoid unnecessary processes.

Use your CRM to create lead files

As the structure grows, it becomes necessary to be able to remember a customer's identity, situation, and payment information in order to be able to sign the sale and automate future transactions. Create Prospect sheets thus allows store customer data and make sure to maintain a relationship of trust with its consumers, by offering them a quality service and adapted to their needs, as well as in their making it easier to buy.

Create an effective prospecting strategy through the prospecting plan

When prospecting, you usually run into the obstacle of time: it is indeed a task that can be very long and not always fruitful. Develop a action plan So is a good way to gain in efficiency, and The CRM tool helps to prepare a list of potential buyers, to make sales estimates and to determine the best times and ways to approach a lead.

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Create your prospecting file

To create a relevant file, you must first think about what needs to be included in it: the date of the last exchange (if a contact has already taken place), the date of the next exchange and that of the expected sales signature, data on the customer, his company, his company, his situation, his budget and his answers, for example. This makes it possible to build a solid base of elements to be analyzed and monitored to determine the next steps to take in the sales process.

Use a powerful sales funnel built in-house

A true journey of the stages leading to the purchase, the sales funnel is essential for optimize its customer approach. It should therefore be considered that each of the steps leading to the purchase of the product must be examined to eliminate its weak points. So it is at the heart of the marketing strategy of a company: all stages must provide the maximum possible value to consumers, and their facilitate the buying process.

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What are the different types of prospects?

When we talk about prospecting, we tend to categorize individuals based on Level of interest that they wear to the product and The intention to buy that they demonstrated. They are thus described as “cold”, “warm” or even “hot”:

- A cold lead Is thus an individual who does not seem Not interested through the product or service. If it has already been approached without success, it is generally appropriate not to insist more, at the risk of wasting time, money and energy.

- A lukewarm lead has already demonstratedInterest in the product or service. He can potentially become a buyer if we make him a good offer or if we talk ingeniously with him, listening to his needs and meeting his expectations.

- A hot lead is keenly interested by the product or service and will not waste time buying it.

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Prospecting FAQ:

How do you define prospecting?

It is the act of Start by looking for or identifying a customer potential in order to increase its turnover. This involves approaching multiple individuals to determine in a second step those who would be interested in the product and would possibly want to buy it in the near future.

What is the definition of the word prospecting?

This consists in defining a action plan allowingobtain a prospect database With which we can Exchange to close sales. To do this, you can use many ways to approach the potential buyer, more or less direct, and use Customer Relationship Management software to optimize your strategy and analyze your performance.

What do you do to attract customers?

Attracting customers is achieved above all through a good image : a certain reputation and a online presence are essential to get people talking about themselves. Also, theattitude of a sales representative weighs in the balance at the time of the exchange — sympathy, kindness and dynamism are essential when talking with a potential buyer.

Finally, you need to be solution oriented and create a prospecting funnel. You need to be interested in the problems your prospect is having and focus on trying to find a way to solve them.

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What is the purpose of prospecting?

Prospecting allows To make yourself known, to find new buyers and to gain market shares — it is thus a crucial factor in the development of the structure and the growth of its turnover.

What is the synonym of prospecting?

Synonyms for prospecting are canvass, search or Go hunting Of. So they perfectly reflect the idea of putting looking for new buyers by using all the means available to the salesperson to find contacts: the telephone, the emails, LinkedIn or even face-to-face discussions.

What is a prospecting action?

It is a Step in the strategic journey What does a sales representative follow to find new buyers. It exists several types of action such as defining the budget and communication channels, collecting lead data, writing a sales script, monitoring exchanges or even choosing a CRM tool.

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What are the sources of prospecting?

When it comes to collect email addresses, telephone numbers and other data required for be able to communicate with a lead, there are multiple channels such as social networks, registering for a newsletter, buying external files or even meeting live in the lounges.

What are the different types of prospecting?

Prospecting can be direct or indirect, thus involving different types of tactics. In the case of indirect strategies, we especially care for her online presence and we create qualitative content on our website to encourage visitors to find out more and make contact. For more direct strategies, we prefer The telephone, the email or even the meeting to be able to unfold your pitch and discuss with your interlocutor.

What do you call a person who does prospecting?

This is a task that can fall under various job titles such as Sales Representative Or the Business Developer. Of course, depending on the size and functioning of the structure, other people may be called upon to approach: in the case of a start-up, the CEO can also be in charge of prospecting.

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