This summer looks different for most people. With the first half of the year upended by the pandemic, many salespeople are using this season to grow their client lists rather than take some time off. Lisa Leitch, CSP2, president of Teneo Results, says that while prospecting can be hard, tedious and discouraging, when you put in the work in July and August, you can capture the clients before your competitors get to them in the fall.

In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we discuss Leitch’s seven ways to get your sales pipeline sizzling this summer.

1. Build a hot list of 50-100 customers and prospects. Leitch recommends going through your past customer lists as well as your current customer list when creating your hot list. Be sure to review leads from webinars, tradeshows and LinkedIn.

2. Schedule prospecting time. Be intentional about when you will spend time prospecting. Leitch likes to block time in her calendar early in the day, typically between 7:45 and 8:55 in the morning. She says this is an ideal time to reach potential customers before they begin their 9 a.m. meetings. Think about when your buyers are most likely to answer your call or email live and plan your prospecting time then.

3. Pinpoint 10 prospects to contact next. A good idea to get excited about your hot list is to identify 10 prospects ahead of time. Before you end your day, think about who you want to contact the next workday, being sure to research on LinkedIn so you are prepared.

4. Use the double-whammy method. Leitch says this method involves calling your prospect and following up with an email, text or video for the best results. She notes that this method can improve your response rate by almost 50 percent.

5. Communicate to get attention. Remember that most customers read their emails on their mobile devices, especially during the summer when they may be working at the pool or beach. Knowing this, aim to write your emails to capture attention from the intro. The first 10 words must be compelling enough to get the buyer to click “open” and avoid the delete button.

6. Inspire interest with a video. To break through the inbox clutter and stand out in your prospects’ inbox, consider sending a video email. Leitch points out that video emails have been shown to get 81 percent more responses than traditional emails. You can use platforms like BombBomb and Covido for free for 14 days so you can test out this method and get comfortable recording yourself.

7. Focus on your prospects. Always make your messaging about your prospects—never about you. Strive to show your prospects how you can help them improve their business or solve a problem. Remember that your objective is to create interest to secure a meeting, not the sale, notes Leitch.

Take some breaks this summer but stay focused on connecting with potential buyers. This takes a commitment to planning ahead by researching prospects, developing a hot list, and communicating strategically. When you invest time in your prospecting efforts during the summer, you stay one step ahead of your competitors.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Lisa Leitch, CSP2, is president of Teneo Results, where she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product and price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.