Introduction

Prospecting is a critical element of the sales process. After all, how can you expect new business if you aren’t finding new prospects who can benefit from your product? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by entrepreneur and speaker AJ Vassar to discuss how to prepare yourself for better prospecting. 

Salespeople need new clients in their pipeline. 

• Despite this, it’s an area where people are frequently challenged.
• In sales, we learn ABC - always be closing. But, just as important is the idea of the prospecting ABC - always be connecting.
• Connecting and establishing a network is integral to being a successful salesperson. But don’t just connect with random people; find people you can provide value to (and vice versa.)
• When you also focus on connecting people with others, you’ll be top of mind in all instances. And that is a critical element to have.

What if a salesperson doesn't have time to connect with new people?

• You have to make time. Connecting people with other people makes you an asset they’ll want to interact with (and hopefully do business with.)
• If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll get what you want.
• Relationships are like a bank account: Don’t make a withdrawal before making a deposit.

Using this skill on LinkedIn: 

• If you’re connected on LinkedIn, what can you do in 10 minutes per day to find success?
• One of AJ’s mentors is Ronald Jackson, retired three-star army general, ex-referee for the NBA, and professor at Georgia Tech.
• The very first thing AJ asked him was, “tell me your goals, and what can I help you achieve?” People don’t mind talking about themselves - they love it.
• And everyone, no matter how wealthy, has goals you might be able to help accomplish.

One major takeaway: The saying “your net worth is your network” is incredibly apt. But, more importantly, it’s not who you know, but who knows you. Follow AJ on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook for more great content.

This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

The Great Resignation has become the Great Reshuffle, meaning it can be difficult for sales professionals like you to find leads and close deals. Luckily, Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is here for you!

Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is the only tool that uses real-time alerts and up-to-date insights to help you know when prospects are ready to buy. And, with over 30 advanced filters, sales professionals can quickly find genuine leads with the intent to purchase.

Gain the advantage of accurate, quality lead generation data from LinkedIn Sales Navigator. You can get a 60-day free trial of Sales Navigator at www.LinkedIn.com/TSE. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle.

Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.) 

With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey.

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Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com