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These are uncertain times and we don’t really know where we will end up. One thing that we should be aware of for sure is that NOT doing anything will put companies in a difficult position once things clear up again.
One of my creative outlets is writing, so I decided to share some insights with my network that will (hopefully) be thought provoking and useful.
Many people are under the illusion that the status quo will protect them. Not doing anything puts you in a vulnerable spot because strategically minded companies will keep going to make sure that they are in a position to move forward once things start moving again.
But even if you don’t feel like prospecting is a good idea right now (and it might not be in some cases) there is still so much you can do improve your stance.
CRM Optimization
Every good prospecting strategy starts with a solid CRM system. It is the very foundation of everything you do in sales and it’s often not properly structured. Honestly, I have been consulting for decades and there was one company that I came across that actually had a strong handle on their CRM solution.
Here is what you can do to improve it:
Segment your database by
Your database is only as strong as you are able to pull reports and to deploy marketing campaigns. If your CRM system is not properly segmented you will at times communicate to the wrong people or overcommunicate and people will get annoyed. You should be in a position where you are able to execute marketing campaigns to segments such as “all prospects in New York who are in the technology sector” with a couple of clicks. If you don’t have your prospects separated from your clients you might send communication to existing clients which can cause confusion and frustration and it’s also unprofessional.
Trust me, I have received prospecting emails from companies where I am a customer and I didn’t like it at all. For example, don’t send me a promo email of a new model if I just bought a car from you 2 weeks ago. Not cool.
Here are some ideas on how to segment:
- - Geography
- - Industry
- - Clients vs. Prospects
- - Short-Term Targets
- - Long-Term Targets
- - Reporting Hierarchy
- - Etc. – you should know what makes for the best segmentation for your company
More to come in the following chapters……