Obstacles to Prospecting

Mistakes salespeople make:

•           Not doing enough of the right work.
•          Underestimating the challenge of call reluctance.
•        Having an attitude of doing something to customers versus for them.
•          Not scheduling time and respecting the time.
•       Seduction of harvesting as opposed to planting.
• Attempt near impossible calls rather than very connected calls.
• No defined self-accountability or structure of oversight.
• Would  rather do other things than new business generation.

 When asked, why salespeople did not do more, they provided a variety of responses:

• A belief that things will come through.
•  Poor time management.
•  Call reluctance.
• Not understanding and internalizing a strategy for prospecting.
• Thinking that our closing skills will outweigh our prospecting weakness.
• The economy is very tough right now.
• Prospects are just indifferent to our offerings.