I love target shooting. It’s extremely satisfying to hit the target, especially when you hit the bullseye. Yes, that’s my target, shot at 15 yards after not having shot a gun for over a year. Score!

You get the same sense of satisfaction when you’ve connected well with a prospect, and they decide to buy. Score!

Hitting that bullseye isn’t simple, yet, our odds improve when we have a well-defined target. Many salespeople believe the myth that everyone is a prospect. I learned long ago that everyone is a “suspect” but only about 10% of those are true prospects. It seems counter-intuitive, but the narrower your qualifying criteria, the more successful you’ll be. Here are three reasons why:

1. Limited resources

With marketing spend, It comes down to simple math. The more targeted your list, the higher your closing ratio and the lower your cost per lead. (If you have money to throw away on less-than-qualified leads, why are you working?) A narrow, well-defined prospect description helps you spend precious resources wisely.

2. Limited time

We all are limited to 24 hours per day. Since most sales take frequent follow ups, no one can afford the time it takes to chase down mediocre leads. Every minute counts.

3. Limited resilience

Anyone who’s been in sales knows how important attitude is to your success. It’s hard to remain positive and bounce back from the “no’s” when you feel like your efforts are not yielding results.

I challenge you to take a fresh look at your ideal prospect description. What if adjusting it might save you money, time and energy?

You may be curious how did I put 14 shots in the target after not shooting for over a year. Muscle memory comes with lots of practice. The same applies to selling. Practice until you develop the muscle memory of agility and performance when you need it!

Want to get live feedback from others working to hone their selling skills? Get added to the list of Group Sales Coaching: https://debbrownsales.com/group-sales-coaching/