Make that prospect list and then make it happen!

Now is a good time for insurance salesmen and saleswomen around the land to look down the funnel at the pipeline and see where the new business is coming from.

I have a book of existing business so the first effort is to ensure that this is retained. The problem is that you never will manage to keep all of it. Businesses close or are acquired. People move on and new people with different priorities move in. A book of business will always decline without sales input.

However, your existing book of business is also a great source of new revenue. You need to ask yourself: Do you handle all of their business? Can they recommend you to someone else? As always, diligent efforts will prove to be beneficial.

On the other hand you will also need to target a completely new set of customers to create or renew your database of prospects. Here are a first few steps:

• Define: Your area, your products and what your company wants to achieve.
• Research: Invest the time upfront to save it later down the line by building a comprehensive list of potential contacts with names, job titles, contact details and any other useful information
• Refine: Ensure that your data is clean and remove out of date information. This exercise is as good as any excuse to get in touch with people and will help you to prioritise your list.
• Verify: Does your sales manager agree with your list? Yes? Good! Let’s get on with it.

Unfortunately there is no short cut. You must make contact, you must pursue. Nobody likes it but it is just something that has to be done.

Two further thoughts:

• Don’t outsource prospecting. It doesn’t work!
• Now and then enquiries come to you. Jump on them.