This course on prospecting for new business is an integral part of the Skills For Sales Success series produced by the Canadian Professional Sales Association. Successful completion of this series, available both online and in a paper-based format, can lead to designation as a Certified Sales Professional.
Prospecting is a key element in a successful sales career, and the skills that salespeople require to be successful have changed considerably in the past few years. This course presents a proven approach to the subject and ties it into the consultative selling approach recommended by the CPSA.
Learning Outcomes
In this course, learners will:
learn the importance of prospecting to acquire new business
be taken through the prospecting funnel
find out how to manage contacts and move them up and down the funnel as the relationship between buyer and seller progresses
learn the basic “do’s and don’ts” of making a prospecting call
learn to create the proper first impression that will help the salesperson be successful
CPSA would also like to acknowledge that the Skills For Sales Success online learning project is made possible, in part, through funding by Human Resources Development Canada.
Syllabus
Introduction
Prospecting and the Prospecting Funnel
From Marketplace to Suspect
From Suspect to Prospect
Assessing and Prioritizing Prospects
From Prospect to Hot One
Competitive Advantage Statements
From Hot One to New Customer
Managing the Funnel Flow
Creating the Right Initial Impression
Some Rules for Prospecting Phone Calls
Scripting Calls and Common Objections
Additional Prospecting Tools
Instructor: Barry LaValley
Barry LaValley, CSP, is President of LaValley Communications, a sales training, relationship management, and communications consulting firm based on the West Coast. Mr. LaValley has over 20 years experience as a sales professional and conducts sales training in both Canada and the United States.
Mr. LaValley is an active speaker, writer and educator in the areas of practice management and selling skills across Canada. He takes a unique approach to both topics and bases his education on understanding how the client perceives the sales process and how that affects how a sales practice is managed. In addition, he speaks and writes regularly on retirement lifestyle issues.
Mr. LaValley has been called “one of the best communicators in the Canadian Financial Services industry” by noted industry commentator Dan Richards, of Marketing Solutions. He has a solid reputation as a common sense, down to earth speaker on the topics he covers.
