ReachStream | Resources
  • Resources
  • Best Practice
  • Reachstream Tips
  • Guides and Tutorials
  • Write For Us
  • Pricing
  • Support
RegisterLogin
b2b sales prospecting leads

Ultimate Guide to
B2B Sales Prospecting

Ultimate Guide to B2B Sales Prospecting

B2B Sales Prospecting

It is a term that is often used but rarely understood. So, let’s put that into perspective, shall we?

Sales Prospecting is the process by which marketers search for potential customers to achieve new business. The goal may sound simple, but it usually becomes a task that many find difficult to achieve. Think of it like this, sales prospecting works in the same way mining does, the end goal is to dig and sift through the unnecessary, to get to your desired product. Be it coal, gold, diamonds, a sale; whatever.

Taking that random analogy into context, all marketers should aim to prospect and prospect well. Learn to grow your business and make those targets seem like a walk-in-the-park. Nurture the needs of your prospects well before you can get them to commit to buying your product. Before going any further, let us try and understand the factors of B2B Sales Prospecting.

“40% of sales representatives say that the most challenging part in the sales cycle is prospecting.”

(Click to tweet)

Reap benefits by identifying Sales Qualified Leads - A beginner's guide

Free download

We at ReachStream have made it our mission to change those numbers. How?

Let us run through five primary questions you as a marketer in today’s day-and-age need to ask yourself

1. What made your prospect say no?


2. What features did your competitors offer that won your prospective client over?

3. What should you work or improvise on to make that extra bit of a difference?

4. What steps can you take to improve your relationship with your prospects?

5. Did you do enough for your prospects to refer you?



A great way to get a better understanding of your prospects is to run through the questions above. This will help you as a marketer to map-out a more appropriate strategy to target prospects. Repeat the process until your plan is airtight.

Let us examine 9 strategies that would help your marketing and sales teams master the fine art of prospecting:

Use effective tools

To keep an accurate record of your prospective leads, use a CRM tool. Every interaction should be on file for future reference or to gain a more in-depth insight. This will help you understand what should be done better or what needs improvisation. A CRM platform will help you keep track of your customer’s interactions. It makes valuable data available for analysis.
effective tool crm
center line left
through multimedia

Go Social

Social media can be a powerful tool when used correctly to reach out to your prospects. You can work on relationship building strategies via social media platforms. Connect with your target audience through free or low-cost social media advertisements. You have the power to increase brand visibility through social media platforms.Think about it. There are over 3 billion people on social media today.

Know How to Choose the Best Social Media Platforms for Your B2B Marketing

Learn more
3

Email Campaigns

Although social media plays a pivotal role in the lives of everyone, email remains the preferred mode of communication today. B2B marketers are prime targets for marketing and sales teams. Most successful businesses run two types of email marketing campaigns. One for their sales teams who use it to reach decision-makers of a company. And the other for marketing teams to carry out blanket marketing campaigns. To target your clients, opt to use a well-integrated, refined email database offered by vetted industry players. It is a proven way to start an effective marketing campaign.

through email campaigns
guide for b2b sales prospecting 2019

Connect with your prospects with b2b database

14-day free trial
through networking

Network, network, network

Join networking groups, as many as possible. Be they in the online world or the physical one. Connect as much as you can. Warm leads, cold calls, partnerships, referrals, conferences, and events. Be a part of all networking events. This will undoubtedly raise your profile amongst the peers of your respective industry. A great place to start is the Content Marketing World Conference and Expo 2019. Get to Cleveland, OH this September to meet the who’s-who of our industry.

4
center line right
5

Review and revive old prospective leads

You may have a sound sales pitch or could have targeted the right set of people, but that does not mean you are free from rejection. Don’t let that hold you back; work on making your prospects say ‘yes.’ Develop a strategy to nurture the interests of your prospective clients. Make them choose your product. Invest time in understanding why an approach didn’t work in your favor and fix it.

prospective leads

7 Ways to close deals with skeptical customers!

Learn more
cold mailing data

Master radiating warmth through the art of cold calling

No matter how much you may dislike cold calling, consider this fact –78% of decision-makers have attended events as a result of a cold call. (Click to tweet) Cold calling can get monotonous, at times, sure. Follow the pointers below to turn your cold calls into messages of warmth:

6

Do your homework – Know who you are going to be talking to. What buyer persona do they fall under? What are their pain points? How will your product/service meet their needs and benefit their lives? The more information you have, the easier it will be for you to connect with them.

First impressions matter – It would behoove you to create a great first impression. By being transparent, speaking in a calm manner, and solving problems of your prospects, you stand to make a long-lasting impression. And that goes a long way! Be professional and maintain your conversations with an added human touch. This is crucial in improving your success rate among prospects.

center line right
7

Be proactive and consistent

It is one thing to look busy when you are at your workplace. It’s another thing to actually put in the work needed to maintain fruitful relationships. A lot of us (for whatever reason) tend to side-step the opportunity to catch-up or keep in regular contact with a prospect. Establish a systematic process to make sure that your pipeline is full. When you have a rigid process in place, the daunting task of prospecting becomes second nature.

proactive and consistent
why sales reps can't close deals

10 Actual reasons why sales reps can’t close deals

Know more
opt for technology

Invest in apt technology

Get your basics right, develop a strategy, and then invest in tools that lend your vision sturdy legs it can run with. Buying and focusing on technology will help you excel in prospecting your leads. By doing this, you will help take the weight off your marketing team’s shoulders. You will empower them to achieve any task at hand.

8
center line right
9

Video marketing is the future

Video marketing is the need of the hour. Videos can help facilitate contact with prospective clients.

video marketing

About 87% of online marketers use some form of video as part of their marketing strategy.

(Click to tweet)

Videos can be viewed on various platforms and devices. They increase engagement levels exponentially. Take complete advantage of this medium. Don’t get left behind.

CONCLUSION:

Sales prospecting can be a boon when it’s planned to perfection to increase ROI. You may be a marketer or sales development executive, but if you have got your marketing strategy on-point, the world is yours. B2B prospecting is often considered to be the most difficult part of the sales funnel. According to data from hubspot.in, almost 40% sales reps report prospecting as the most challenging aspect of the sales funnel, with less that 50% of your prospects being ideal fits for your product. However, with proper planning and implementation, the above-mentioned tips can be used to gain ideal prospects for your business.

If you liked this blog post and if you like being all caught up with the business world, do consider Subscribe to our blog. With new blog posts every week, you can gain important insight about the inner functioning of the market! If you think your colleague or friend could use this information to their advantage, do consider sharing this post! If the post lacked something, you can reach out to us through the comments.

evangeline rose

Evangeline Rose

Author

Evangeline is a content writer and strategist at ReachStream, who believes that words and expression complete a person. An enthusiastic reader, she loves to spend time learning more about different cultures.

Don’t forget to share this post!

Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Instagram

Subscribe to Our Blog

Stay up-to-date with the latest in marketing, sales, service tips and news.

I want this latest in:



Check out our other blogs!

How Does a Social Media Presence Improve Your Business in 2021?

How Does a Social Media Presence Improve Your Business in 2021?

October 14, 2021
How to Prove and Improve Social Media ROI

How to Prove and Improve Social Media ROI

July 9, 2021
Best eCommerce Software Platforms for Multi-Vendor Marketplaces

Best eCommerce Software Platforms for Multi-Vendor Marketplaces

June 4, 2021
Tips to boost visibility of B2B Ecommerce

Tips to boost visibility of B2B Ecommerce

May 6, 2021

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Why ReachStream

Contact Search
Company Insights
How It Works

Products and Services

Search for Contacts and Companies
Data Enrichment
Digital Marketing Services

Resources

Best Practices
ReachStream Tips
Guides and Tutorials

Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
Pinterest
Instagram
Youtube

reachstream
reachstream
SUPPORT
GDPR

Copyright © 2022 ReachStream, Inc.    Privacy    Terms & Conditions     Cookies Policy

Sign up for a free trial, Register Now

Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
Pinterest
Instagram
Youtube

reachstream

reachstream

SUPPORT

GDPR

Why ReachStream

Contact Search
Company Insights
How It Works

Products and Services

Search for Contacts and Companies
Data Enrichment
Digital Marketing Services

Resources

Best Practices
ReachStream Tips
Guides and Tutorials

Sign up for a free trial, Register Now

Copyright © 2020 ReachStream, Inc.    Privacy    Terms & Conditions     Cookies Policy

Popular

  • Here’s How You Identify B2B Medical Target Audience Here’s How You Identify B2B Medical Target Audience posted on May 22, 2019
  • Social Media Content Calendar Template Social Media Content Calendar Template posted on April 16, 2019
  • Healthcare Marketing: At A Glance Healthcare Marketing: At A Glance posted on May 27, 2019
  • Measure the effectiveness of healthcare campaigns: Measure your Metrics with Free Templates Measure the effectiveness of healthcare campaigns: Measure your Metrics with Free Templates posted on May 24, 2019

New

How Does a Social Media Presence Improve Your Business in 2021?

How Does a Social Media Presence Improve Your Business in 2021?

October 14, 2021
How to Prove and Improve Social Media ROI

How to Prove and Improve Social Media ROI

July 9, 2021
Best eCommerce Software Platforms for Multi-Vendor Marketplaces

Best eCommerce Software Platforms for Multi-Vendor Marketplaces

June 4, 2021
Tips to boost visibility of B2B Ecommerce

Tips to boost visibility of B2B Ecommerce

May 6, 2021
Explore all

STAY IN THE KNOW



By clicking that button, you’ll:

  • Confirm you’re a genius and
  • Start getting the latest in marketing scoops, articles, eBooks, whitepapers and more
Popular
New
Popular
  • Here’s How You Identify B2B Medical Target Audience Here’s How You Identify B2B Medical Target Audience posted on May 22, 2019
  • Social Media Content Calendar Template Social Media Content Calendar Template posted on April 16, 2019
  • Healthcare Marketing: At A Glance Healthcare Marketing: At A Glance posted on May 27, 2019
  • Measure the effectiveness of healthcare campaigns: Measure your Metrics with Free Templates Measure the effectiveness of healthcare campaigns: Measure your Metrics with Free Templates posted on May 24, 2019
New
How Does a Social Media Presence Improve Your Business in 2021?

How Does a Social Media Presence Improve Your Business in 2021?

October 14, 2021
How to Prove and Improve Social Media ROI

How to Prove and Improve Social Media ROI

July 9, 2021
Best eCommerce Software Platforms for Multi-Vendor Marketplaces

Best eCommerce Software Platforms for Multi-Vendor Marketplaces

June 4, 2021
Tips to boost visibility of B2B Ecommerce

Tips to boost visibility of B2B Ecommerce

May 6, 2021
Explore all
reachstream offer

Grab offer now

Copyright © 2020 ReachStream, Inc.

subscribe reachstream