In today’s email:
Client Visit Field Report Template
Prospecting Research
A Simple Framework to Change Your Habits
👇🏾 Listen: Still looking for your Ideal Client?
Client Visit Field Report Template
My current role focuses on growing existing accounts rather than winning new ones. That means hitting the road to visit clients.
This Client Visit Field Report Template is an easy way to track those visits. Complete this document at the end of every visit to capture important feedback and add it to your CRM
Use it as a tool to build rapport with clients (and prospects) and recall specifics from past visits. Start building critical datapoints to identify opportunities to close more sales.
Prospecting Research
I take a two-pronged approach to research - industry-based and prospect-based.
Industry research
I want to learn three things about my target industry
Service knowledge - what and how do prospects use waste collection services
The competition - who are the leading players in the market
Pricing - what are the price points for existing services
In addition to using AI, I look at the following:
Trade Associations: A goldmine of industry-related news and insights. Most also have member directories, aka a verified list of ideal clients.
Regulatory + Professional Bodies: Professional associations are a helpful resource. They provide operational and regulatory nuances within a market—a valuable context for prospecting.
The Competition: Every prospect I speak to has an existing waste supplier. I’m building a working list of competitors and looking at:
What they’re doing well;
What challenges did they help clients overcome?
What benefits do they provide to clients?
Issue highlighted by negative reviews; and
Who gave the testimonials and their job title?
Helpful information for identifying use cases and points of differentiation.
Armed with industry knowledge, I’m now ready to research my prospects.
Prospect research
Prospect research helps develop a strong point of view for messaging and meetings. My go-to sources are:
Annual and Quarterly Reports
Is it shrinking or growing? What are their strategies and initiatives? What risks and gaps have they identified in their business? Upcoming project names and more.
There’s a wealth of knowledge hidden within these reports.
Press Releases, Blog Posts, Podcasts or News Appearances
A quick win is creating a Google News alert around your prospect company’s name. That way, you’re continually receiving information about them.
Check their website for company updates and feature articles. You can go a step further and search for podcasts or YouTube interviews.
Job Postings
You can find a lot of helpful information on job postings. Job titles, duties and responsibilities, direct reports, tech stack, and the partners they use are a few examples.
Don’t sleep on job postings. I use Glassdoor, Indeed and LinkedIn as part of my research.
Throughout my research, I look for context triggers to open conversations. Recent company news, a LinkedIn post or an industry trend relevant to the company are useful openings.
By reaching out with the proper context, I position myself as an expert ready to add value.
A Simple Framework to Change Your Habits
“Success is a few simple disciplines practised every day.”
- Jim Rohn
Habits are small daily actions and decisions.
Building new habits has helped improve my sales performance. From cold calling to account management, each function required a new set of habits.
Here’s my 5-step process:
Start small
Make the habit so easy you can’t say no.
Don’t rely on motivation or willpower; use self-discipline to start building a habit.
My cold calling habit started with one call.
2. Build small
Increase your habit in small ways. Don’t shoot the lights out straight away. Improve 1% every day.
One cold call turned into 60-70 calls a day over 3 months.
Over time, my willpower and motivation increased, making it easier to pick up the phone.
3. Plan for failure
Don’t expect to fail; plan for failure. Consider the barriers preventing you from developing your habit.
Ask:
“What might get in my way?”
“What daily emergencies can pull me off course?”
“How can I work around these issues?”
My challenges included time, lead lists, unclear client profiles and managing expectations.
4. NMT
Missing your habit once doesn’t impact long-term progress. When you slip up, get back on track.
Never Miss Twice (NMT). NMT focuses on consistency, not perfection.
One missed day of cold calling is a blip. Two days in a row signal the start of a new, less desirable habit.
5. Practice patience
The ability to endure and work towards something is a crucial skill.
Patience is everything. Practice enables progress towards building a new habit.
Your first cold call will be bad, but your 1000th will be great.
Put in the reps.
Thanks for reading!
Matt @ The Growth Lab
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