Prospecting and Identifying Problems

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Prospecting and Identifying Problems
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The Six Steps Of Solutions Selling

• Prospecting
• Identifying problems (discovery, qualifying)
• Generating solutions (research and strategy)
• Presenting
• Negotiating and closing
• Servicing

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The Money Engine






Accounts
















1 Keep the Prospects section full.
Prospects







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S
S
S
S
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Pending
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2 Keep Pending accounts hot and close them.
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3 Make Active Accounts raving fans.






Renewals
Active Accounts




4 Advertisers dont become customers until they
renew.
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Prospecting

• Prospecting is creating opportunities to make a
  proposal.
• Work smart.
• Have an organized system.
• Spend at least 7.5 of your productive time
  prospecting.

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Prospecting Methods

• By current advertisers in other media
• By season
• By category/vertical
• By geographic region
• By inactive advertisers
• By current advertisers
• By business, civic, and other organizations

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Prospecting Creating Opportunities

• Finding prospects who have advertising or
  marketing problems
• And for which you have a solution
• Especially in a targeted audience
• Especially for in-the-market consumers
• Make contact
• Write out telephone pitch in advance
• Use the prospects name, introduce yourself and
  your company
• Use a referral if possible

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Prospecting

• State the purpose of the call is to set up an
  appointment, not to sell anything.
• Mention a motivating benefit (special reason,
  special offer, profitable idea).
• The words idea and profitable are magic,
  solutions oriented.
• But make sure youre not exaggerating.

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Prospecting

• Pacing is the key on the telephone
• Get to the point quickly.
• Pause often.
• Match prospects pace.
• Put a mirror on your desk and stand up.
• More animated, friendly, dynamic

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Prospecting

• On the phone, be persistent (but not obnoxious).
• If you get a yes for an appointment, reconfirm
  the time and day.
• Whats your email address? Ill send you an
  email confirming the day and time.
• Dont reconfirm the day of the appointment
• Have an assistant call after youve left.

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Prospecting

• If you get the dont-come-see me stopper
• Ask why?
• Compliment their business.
• If one of your salespeople...
• Thought youd be interested in how to improve
  your ROI and media accountability on the
  Internet.
• Appointments are imperative.
• Face-to-face is vitally important for initial
  meeting.

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Prospecting

• Prospecting is about positive attitude.
• Rejection is a given, so optimism is critical.
• Its not personal.
• Enthusiasm for your products is key (increases
  credibility).
• Believe that you can solve problems for everybody
  you see.
• Prospecting is about commitment.
• To the process.
• To solving problems and helping customers get
  results as they define results.

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Set Activity Goals

• Number of calls/contacts
• Create a block of time (get off your computer,
  overcome your e-mail obsession).
• Number of appointments
• Minimum Average five per week

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The Money Engine

• Prospecting keeps the Money Engine fueled.
• Prospecting keeps food on the table.

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Indentifying Problems

• Two phases
• Qualifying
• Indentifying problems
• Qualifying is finding the right people to call
  on.
• Quality, not quantity of calls is critical.

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Qualifying

• Qualifying appointment
• Read their desk.
• Dont take notes, build rapport (first
  impression).
• Build trust.
• Become a partner.
• Qualify creditworthiness.
• Assess perceptual set and readiness.
• Get an appointment for a discovery meeting.

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Identifying Problems

• Detective work
• Computers are useless. They only give you
  answers. Picasso
• Ask great questions.
• Open-end questions
• Closed-end questions
• Verification questions
• Start with open-end questions
• Discovery Questions
• Smart follow-up questions are the key.

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Now Youre Ready

• To generate solutions that solve those problems
• To generate solutions-based proposals
• To deliver presentations that create value
• To get prospects what they want