Prospecting Begins with an Overall Strategy
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Before you start any endeavor, a plan of attack is a good starting point. Get out those pens, sharpen those pencils and even grab your PDA; here are some planning steps to consider (Stevenot, Ted. "4 Ways to Integrate Technology Into Your Prospecting Efforts." Agent's Sales Journal (09/2009): 62)
1) Know what you are selling. Figure out which products you're promoting. If each is sufficiently different from the other, you may need a separate strategy for each.
2) Know your market. Determine who buys the types of products and services you sell and where they are located. Create a prospecting list or target area based on your potential buyers.
3) Interact with the prospects in your market. Phone calls, meetings, seminars, trade shows, civic events, volunteer work, etc... Be systematic about your action. Have a schedule.
4) Collect useful information. Establish a prospecting database and use it to collect information as you interact with your prospects. Use the information you collect to identify new opportunities and improve your connection with current prospects.
5) Engage in leveraged outreach. Use a means of communication that is beyond person-to-person interaction to connect with prospects. Be systematic with your leveraged outreach. Again, have a schedule.
6) Assess and refresh your system. Add, supplement, or removed different types of outreach based on performance. Add new names to prospect lists, and set aside names you that are no longer viable. Study your statistics (e.g., response percentages, sales/contact ratios, etc...).