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Prospecting is hard. You’re interrupting people who aren’t sitting around hoping you would interrupt them.
What makes it worse? The fact that a LOT of other people are out there prospecting the very same people you’re trying to prospect. You’re one fish in a sea of sellers that seem the same!
Because of this noise factor, it’s not enough to strive for what Jeb Blount calls “familiarity over time.” Because to become familiar with you, prospects have to actually notice you. And to get noticed, you need to STAND OUT in the sea of selling sameness.
The trick, of course, is to STAND OUT without being:
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Annoying
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Cheesy
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Dishonest
In other words, to STAND OUT credibly – without sacrificing your credibility as a professional.
Of course it can be done – that’s the whole point of this article! Here are three ways to differentiate and get noticed by your prospects. I’ll contrast with typical, discuss the behavioral science factor you want to consider, and give you a best practice for standing out credibly.
1. Deliver STANDOUT Value
Typical: Prospectors are all about getting the meeting
Prospectors deliver their value prop and ask for a sales meeting. Or they name a problem they solve and ask for a sales meeting. Or they name someone they’ve worked with…and ask for a sales meeting. Have you noticed the “gimme” vibe here? As in, “Gimme a sales meeting.”
Behavioral Science Factor: Reciprocity
Reciprocity is our tendency to give as we receive – it’s why “one good turn deserves another” and “an eye for an eye” and “quid pro quo.”
How does that apply to prospecting? Well, if you want to get something valuable like a meeting, start with giving something of value and see if you can trigger reciprocity.
DELIVERING STANDOUT VALUE:
What if, before you asked for a meeting, you gave prospects something like:
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Information
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Education
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Referral
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Resources
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Tools
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Entertainment*
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An item*
*use of these restricted on some sales. They can get you noticed, though.
2. Use STANDOUT Delivery
Typical: Prospectors send emails and focus on making the wording stand out.
The problem isn’t necessarily the wording of your email (although it oftentimes is!). The problem is that your email is swimming in a bucket of emails, with more emails being poured into the bucket every hour.
Behavioral Science Factor: Availability Bias
Availability Bias describes our tendency to trust things we can remember more easily. That means if I can remember your prospecting message, you’re in a slightly advantageous position credibility-wise.
For prospectors, this means you have two choices: Send better emails than everyone, or do something different to stand out.
USE STANDOUT DELIVERY:
First, if you want to make your emails stand out, there are only two keys: NAMES and NEEDS. If it’s someone I trust or something I need, I’ll remember you more.
Second, consider alternative delivery methods! Here are five examples I can practically guarantee relatively few (if any) prospectors are using in your industry:
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Video
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Handwritten notes
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Special deliveries (USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.)
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Phone calls*
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In-person deliveries
Is it time-intensive to use these standout delivery methods? Of course it is! We’re talking small batches of prospects – more of an account-based marketing model than mass marketing with emails.
*Yes, I said “phone calls” are a standout move – because barely anyone dials the phone anymore (financial services wholesalers excepted).
3. Employ STANDOUT Cadence
Typical: Prospectors reach out 3-5 times, once per week, then stop
Is it the rise of CRM that’s taught everyone to push things out by exactly one week, one month, one quarter? Regardless, far too many prospectors reach out on their “prospecting day,” which leads to a lot of Friday emails.
Behavioral Science Factor: Availability Bias and Reciprocity
This one is simple math – if you reach out to someone three times in a week, you’ve tripled your chances of being at the top of the inbox, where the body of your email might actually be visible!
USE STANDOUT CADENCE:
Increase the frequency of your outreach to the point less-focused prospectors will not dare match and deliver value less-thoughtful prospectors will not think to match. Like, how could you touch your prospect EVERY DAY for the next ten business days? (Really!)
“But Dan,” you might be asking, “How is this not annoying, cheesy, and pushy – the very things you warned us about?”
The key is in my first two points: Standout Value and Standout Delivery:
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If you’re offering things of value, you can touch prospects way more often without seeming grabby – you’re showering them with value!
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If you’re using standout delivery, the variety will help you be non-monotonous. The key is mixing your media and delivery channels to keep outreach fresh.
Again, these strategies are for small batches of your very best prospects – you are doing the opposite of mass-marketing.
Summary: You CAN stand out in the sea of sameness!
Prospecting will continue to be hard – you’re still interrupting. However, these three strategies – Standout Value, Standout Delivery, and Standout Cadence – will help you differentiate and win in a crowded field. My clients will vouch for it!