The key to success with prospecting is what I call STP. In fact, I put a can of STP on my desk, in my bathroom and the kitchen. Why? So I would be constantly reminded of the need for continued prospecting. What’s the STP stand for? No, I wasn’t selling oil additives.  The STP was to remind me to See The People. Dogs and cats aren’t going to invest in your product or service, are they?  Will vending machines invest with you?  Nope.  You sell products and services to people only.  So you must get yourself, your voice, your ad, your letter, whatever, in front of them in order to make sales.

Some people have translated the STP into See Twenty People or See Thirty People, if they know that’s how many they need to meet to close the number of sales necessary to reach their monthly income goals.

I strongly recommend that you research your prospects as much as you can to prequalify them.  Even if you’re canvassing a neighborhood making cold calls, you can still take time to take a look at the city directory in the reference section of your library.  A wealth of information is available; for example, you can find out whether the prospects rents or owns a home, as well as the prospect’s marital status, place of employment, and often job title.  You can use all this information in evaluating the prospect and in your sales presentation.  Pay attention to ads and articles in the local newspaper that can tell you of changes in people’s lives.  Changes such as a promotion or a move to another location, mean opportunities.  Early on, realize that your prospects are everywhere.

I hope you found the article useful.  Give me a call if you have any questions.