Why You Should Never Quit Pursuing Your Dream Prospects

While doing something repeatedly, expecting a change in outcome is the definition of insanity, in the world of sales it’s OK to be crazy. In other words, you should never give up the pursuit of your dream prospects, even if they happen to be locked into a long-term contract with one of your competitors.

Here’s why:

Capitalizing on Their Current Partner’s Failures

The company your dream prospect has chosen to do business with (aka your competitor) may be providing adequate results right now, however, that’s likely to change. Commercial relationships are full of ups and downs, so being there when your competitor inevitably slips gives you a great opportunity to offer a better alternative.

Additionally, your prospect’s current partner could become apathetic when it comes to serving the prospect -- especially if they’ve been doing business together for a long period of time. As a result, they may begin to lose the motivation to help the prospect solve problems and make systematic changes. Scenarios like these happen often, and typically results in a company looking for a new partner.

New Decision-Makers Means New Opportunities

Every company has a decision-maker (or several) who is given the final say when it comes to making a deal. You may have received a “no” from your dream company’s decision-maker already, but that doesn’t mean you should throw in the towel. Reason being these individuals eventually move on -- typically to a different role within the same company -- which opens the door for you to impress their replacement.

Moreover, new decision-makers are notorious for wanting to shake things up, so finding new solutions is likely already on their agenda. The trick is knowing when, exactly, a decision-maker is replaced. This can usually be achieved by following the company’s newsletter, blog, or social media feeds.

Good Things Come to Those Who Are Persistent

In sales, persistence should be thought of as an instalment plan. It pays off over time, but only works for those who have the endurance necessary to stay on-course. When your prospect has a new need or becomes unhappy with your competitor, you want to be the first solution they think of. This is only possible if you’ve been persistent in your pursuit to woo them.

When it comes to closing a deal with your dream prospects, success comes to those who play the long-game. We’d all love to nab our dream clients in a second, but the reality is, they may not be ready to partner with us today, this month, or even this quarter. If you stay in the back of their minds for long enough, they’ll be more willing to choose you when the time is right.

If you’re interested in learning more about pursuing dream prospects the right way, or you simply want to become a better salesperson, then don’t forget to check out my podcast The Brutal Truth About Sales & Selling! As a sales trainer with over 25 years of experience, my goal is to help companies increase revenue and reduce sales cycles effectively.