IV. Prospecting equals sales. The fastest way to FAIL as a sales person is to be afraid of the phone and the inevitable avalanche of “No” that will lead to the “YES”. Set aside two hours every day for prospecting. Change your voice mail in the morning so that your clients will know that you are unavailable, but will be back soon. This will stop them from getting antsy.

V. Only meet with clients once you have established their value. Nothing is worse than spending an hour driving to a client for a single $500 job, unless $500 now means $5,000 later.

VI. Use the resources that you have. If you are having trouble getting into an account, enlist the help of your Sales Manager. There are many times that an alternative point of view in regards to the attack plan on an account can make all the difference.

VII. Don’t be afraid of telling a new prospect that you don’t know the answer. Clients would prefer that you call them back with the right answer, over a fake one right away. You only have one chance to make a first impression.

VIII. Let it go in one ear and out the other. If you have properly qualified a lead and they tell you to call them back in a few months, call them back in a few weeks. Many salespeople fail to understand that buyers will do anything to keep the status quo. Familiarity equals comfort.

IX. Out of sight, out of mind. A client will forget all about you if you don’t keep yourself deep in their world. Call buying clients every few weeks. Prospecting means additional business from current clients as well as new ones.

X. It’s okay to be second. If a prospect is very happy with their current vendor, just tell them you want to be their secondary vendor. There will be a time when the current vendor can’t get the job done, and that will be your time to strike and save the day.