Learn how to define the ideal prospect (and grow your business!) By definition, a prospect is “a qualified and interested individual who, through two-way interaction, has demonstrated they are preparing to make a purchase decision”, but the majority of time, it would start as a lead – “an individual who has provided contact information and, in doing so, pointed toward a potential sales opportunity”.
The challenge? To decide on characteristics and factors, that describe your ideal prospect – the prepared buyer – to optimise the lead generation process.
A quick and effective way of defining your ideal prospect is to analyse your existing customers. Think about how they become customers. What did you have that they wanted? The current clients can be used as a guideline to filter out the prospects that you may not want or need, or create an absolutely new “profile” to go after.
Ensuring that you have specific parameters of who your ideal prospect can help with anything marketing strategy related, starting from objectives to tactics themselves.
Ask yourself questions that relate to who you want to sell to! Here’s a few examples:
- What sector do you want to focus on selling to?
- Are there any similarities or trends between existing customers?
- What tactics are you going to use to get these leads and then turn them into prospects?
However, once you and your team have decided on it, make sure to spread the message throughout the company to ensure that there is consistency. Also, don’t forget that it’s not set in stone – review it regularly and monitor the external business environment to see if they have any influence on your target audience.
