Amateur is defined as, “a person who engages in a pursuit, especially a sport, on an unpaid basis.” Professional is defined as, “engaged in a specified activity as one’s main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.” It’s simple—amateurs aren’t paid, professionals get paid. Amateurs have small pipelines—professionals have HUGE pipelines. If you want to be a professional the first thing you must do is make prospecting your number one activity each day. You literally need to take space on your calendar and make it your number one priority.
If you are truly serious about becoming a professional, you also must get everyone you know helping you. You have to have support. Secondly, never depend on the economy. The middle class is so dependent on the economy that they don’t have an economy. Third, you need to make personal visits a daily habit. There’s no activity more important than the generation of prospects. Everyone you know should be producing referrals, prospects, and opportunities.
Twice a month I get my family and employees together and ask for five leads each. Everyone is a prospect. Until prospecting becomes a priority in your head and your schedule, it’s not going to generate results. If it doesn’t generate results you’re going to think it’s not important. Is the foundation of a house important? Prospecting is the foundation. Most people fail because they never meet enough people because they don’t make prospecting a priority.
I often write lists of who I know that might buy a product from me. A list of people who want your product will be a different list than people who need your product. Who do you know in the last 3 or 6 months—or even 5 years—who has bought from you? Who do you know that may need your product? The bottom line is what you have your attention on is what you’re going to get.
Most people don’t understand that creating a prospect has nothing—and everything—to do with selling.
Where does one stop and the other start? When I’m prospecting, I’m not selling. The truth is I don’t sell if I don’t prospect. I can’t build my business if I don’t have prospects. No matter what a person’s product is, most people have the problem of too few prospects. If you want to be mayor, you’ll need prospects. Most people don’t have the money to do mass market advertising.
When I’m searching for someone who has a need or interest, or might be a candidate for my product or even to come work for me—that’s prospecting. I’m not at the point of selling them to work for me or buy my product, I not closing them I’m just generating them. I want to swell my pipeline. I want people first to know me. First thing prospecting does is identify a target. Even if someone may not be a buyer for your product, maybe they know someone who is. Second thing prospecting does is get you out of obscurity. Third, prospecting gives you opportunity to know your clients and get clients to know you. Next, you can identify what their future needs might be. Finally, you can then guess when they will become a buyer.
Overflow your pipeline. Commit to prospecting, make it a priority and realize that everybody is a prospect. You do not want to be an amateur when it comes to this—get experienced, network, and start being a professional. I’ve been in sales over 30 years and have created the Playbook to get you to being a professional. This can be a game changer for you and your family. Get on it and increase your income 10X.
Be great,
GC
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