Row, Row, Row Your Pipeline

Ever go to summer camp? Remember singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” in a round?

One group starts. A second group joins a few lines later. Then a third. Everyone sings the same song, but they’re at different points along the way.

That’s how your prospecting should work.

This week, you identify five good prospects, do your research, and make your first contact. That’s your first group singing.

Next week, you follow up with those five. But you also start with five new prospects.

Week three? Your original group gets another touch. Your second group gets its first follow-up. And five new prospects enter the process.

Same song. Different starting points.

Too many salespeople sing one verse and stop. They contact a handful of companies, wait for something to happen, and eventually announce, “Prospecting doesn’t work.”

Or they get busy with an order and stop adding prospects altogether. Three weeks later, the order ships, the phone goes quiet, and they wonder where their next sale will come from.

You stopped singing.

A weekly prospecting process gives you something specific to do with each group. Who needs a first call? Who needs a useful follow-up? Who has earned another attempt, and who should come off the list?

The goal is to have new conversations beginning while earlier conversations develop.

Monday’s coming.

Start another round. Keep them boats a-rowing, gently down the sales stream.

Bill Farquharson can be reached at 781-934-7036 or through his website, SalesVault.pro

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