The long term value of prospecting our territories.
We believe that we are most effective over time if we adopt a long term view of prospecting our territory. Effective target selection provides us with a list equal to the number of targets we can reach out to in a year based on the adoption of well thought out Best Practice which includes the number of attempts and intervals between those attempts used to set an appointment with a given target. That number very seldom exceeds 1,000. For instance, here is an example of the use of our Activity Calculator2 determining the optimal size of a territory.
| How Many Targets? | |
| How Many Targets can you pursue in a year? | |
| Minutes per day on the phone | 60 |
| Average number of steps taken in your Best Practice before a pursuit ends | 3.5 |
| Average Time Per Step (CRMs are typically 6 minutes; Klpz is less | 3.0 |
| Number of steps you can make a day | 20 |
| Number of days per year you will telephone prospects | 220 |
| Number of times a target will be ‘pursued’ a year until you reach them | 2.0 |
| Replacement targets, as a pct. of total, that are needed to keep your calling list the right size | 25% |
| You need a list with this many names | 786 |
A sales professional trying to sell to more than the number our Best Practice prescribes is a waste of selling time and represents what most sales non-professionals use, and that’s the ‘drive by shooting’ approach. One must make multiple attempts to be successful.
As a manager, we should be paying attention to not only who our charges are calling, but also what is the process they are using. Time is a precious commodity. Let’s not waste it.
2 If you would like a copy of this Activity Calculator, send me an email at barry@coldcalling101.com. It’s free.
Caponi Performance Group and Contact Science jointly market the telephone prospecting and cold calling solution called The Prospector’s Academy™ under the brand name Coldcalling101. It is the only comprehensive solution to solving the biggest barrier to success in most selling organizations – the inability to secure enough Initial Appointments to begin the selling process. We accomplish that through simultaneously addressing both the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. We can be reached at 214 483-5800 or at barry@coldcalling101.com.
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