Prospecting... Are You Hunting or Fishing?

How would you like to add a few BIG fish to your account list?

You know... the type of accounts that are fun and profitable. The type of accounts where the buyers like you, trust you and see you as their promotional advisor?

Wouldn't it be great to find two or three or 50? Well you can do exactly that if you learn how to go Fishing for new accounts instead of Hunting for new accounts!

The first step is to be likeable, and if you are in sales you are probably very likeable. Remember the Law of Attraction? People like you and follow you because of who you are and how you present yourself.

Too many times we feel we have to go out and get people—hunt them down and get them to buy, and too many times we say the wrong thing because we are so eager to make a sale we become very aggressive and scare them away.

When an animal is being hunted it runs away because it thinks it is going to die.

So if we go out and hunt for people—the natural psychological reaction that people have is to run away because they think something bad is going to happen to them.

Don't do this any longer... there is a better way to find new accounts!

Think about how fishing is different from hunting. When you go hunting you hide from the animal so you don't scare them away, and if they show up you blast them. When you go fishing you put out some bait and wait for the fish to come to you.

If your prospects think you are on the hunt they will reject you every time, however, if you put out the right bait your prospects will come to you.

When you use the right bait (something of value) you will catch fish (new accounts) every time.

So how does it work?

Before you go fishing for new accounts there are three things you need to think about:

1. There have to be fish in the area... go where the fish are! A pond may have fish but they are probably all small fish. Rivers, lakes and streams may have bigger fish, and the ocean probably has the biggest fish of all. The question is... are you fishing in the right place for the size of fish you want as clients?
2. The fish have to be hungry... talk about what they like to eat! When you start asking questions as you discover their needs, are you making them hungry for what you have?
3. The bait has to be what the fish are attracted to... find out what they like! Make sure you using the right bait by only presenting what they want, need and are attracted to!

It's all about the presentation!

Some fish are attracted to a shiny lure of some kind, and some fish like live bait; maybe a minnow or a worm.

It works the same for businesses. Some businesses are looking for a few T-shirts and some businesses are looking for a complete merchandising program.

The point is... you need to be very subtle in your approach so you don't scare the fish away before they hear how you can help them.

If you are with a larger company, connect with your sales manager to assist you in determining the most populated lakes and oceans to fish in, and the best bait to use to attract the kind of fish (accounts) you want to work with.

We at HALO Branded Solutions have very knowledgeable regional VPs and an exceptionally qualified marketing department that works with our sales force to develop the tastiest bait and identify the most populated waters to fish.

Fishing for new accounts always works better when you use the right bait and go to the right places to fish.

If you do... the BIG fish will come to you, and you will have a new account!

Best of Success!

Dale Limes, MAS, is Senior Vice President of Sales for HALO Branded Solutions. He is an industry veteran of 27 years, a frequent trainer at industry events, and consults with distributors at every level to help increase sales and efficiency.