Unless you sell some unique product for a very exclusive or narrow market, everybody is a prospect.  I call this realization the -prospecting mindset, and if you’re going to build a successful referral business, you must acquire it.  That little ‘idea’ light bulb above your head needs to flick on and shine brightly.  Everyone is your prospect.

Albeit prospecting is a matter of discussion that most salespeople would just rather not think about, prospecting is the key that opens the door to your success.  If you don’t acquire the prospecting mindset, you’re slamming those doors in your own face, bruising your nose, chipping a tooth, and developing a great big bump the size of an apple on your forehead – none of which is conductive to closing a sale.  You must begin to look at the world differently, to develop a new attitude.

Take a look at a downtown street during the noon hour.  All of those people are your prospects.  They need what you can provide.  Get excited about that! “But”, you say, “I’m an automobile salesman.  I surely couldn’t sell a new car to that man in the wheelchair, can I?”  Others have.  A client of an associate built a fine business creating transportation for disabled citizens.  One of his customers had lost the use of his legs, fingers, and thumbs.  The company rebuilt a van for him, installing a wheelchair lift, lockdows for the chair behind the steering wheel, and attachments allowinghim to steer and shift with just the force of his arms.  My point is simple:  The men of that company didn’t see a man in a wheelchair.  They saw a man who needed transportation.  They saw a prospect.

Look at all those folks!  Virtually every one of them has car keys in a pocket or a purse.  They write with fountain pens, wear clothes, need insurance, want a pool, are saving for a trip, and thy are just waiting for your product or service, too.  If for some reason some don’t need what you have at the moment, they will in the future, and they probably know someone else in need, too!  Every time you see a crowd, a group of people, a club, a family, or even a single person, know in you heart that they really are your prospects.  Make yourself look at life this way every chance you get.  Make it a habit, o good one.  Once you develop the prospecting mindset, you have taken a giant step toward becoming a master prospector, a master salesperson.

I hope you’re having a great day – let me know if you need anything.