Finding The Right Time To Prospect

The best part of weekend warrior prospecting is that prospects tend to be more relaxed without distractions. Here’s why you should set aside a block of time on Saturday or Sunday to dedicate to prospecting.

Even the most time disciplined and high-performing salesperson feels like there are not enough hours in the day for servicing accounts AND prospecting. I hear it all the time from the salespeople I train and coach.

I also hear it from MYSELF despite how regimented I am with my calendaring. And as travel restrictions have lightened up, I’m finding it even harder to juggle it all.

Make Sacrifices For What You Want Most

If you haven’t heard Jeb Blount say this, here’s the solution – “sometimes we have to sacrifice what we want now for what we want most.” This means putting in extra hours to make it happen. For me, those hours are on the weekend.

I work at least one day every weekend, mostly on big-picture projects (training curricula, marketing, etc).

Recently I started prospecting on the weekends, and guess what? Prospects are open to having conversations on Saturdays and Sundays, especially the ones who truly need your solutions.

They, too, are just as busy during the week, trying to get by. The weekend comes and they have more time to think about their challenges.

They start doing research, filling out web forms, and sending emails. They WANT to talk to someone who might have solutions or suggestions.

Review Your CRM

At Sales Gravy, we are pretty on top of it when an inbound lead comes in because it’s not just about selling to a new prospect. It’s about being of service to those in need. This is super simple to do.

Pay attention to leads coming into your CRM from opt-ins, info requests, downloads, etc. You will completely disrupt and surprise them by contacting them as a real human and not an autoresponder.

Text Prospects Who Already Know You

You can also reach out to prospects who may have stalled or said no to re-build rapport. I did this a few days, which prompted me to write this article. It was as simple as texting her and saying, “Been thinking about you and was wondering how you’ve been doing with that challenge we last spoke about.”

She replied immediately and asked if we could talk. This happened on a Friday. I suggested Monday morning “or I’m also available over the weekend if you are.” She jumped on saying yes to talking on a Sunday. This resulted in her requesting a proposal for a large scope of work.

Prospects Let Their Guard Down

The best part of being a weekend warrior prospector is that prospects tend to be more relaxed without distractions. Their guards are down. They’re in weekend mode even though they’re still kind of working. AND they are usually thrilled that you took out time during your weekend to give them attention.

Be in weekend/friend mode and mindset and let them know it’s okay to be “casual” for video calls. And after your conversation, nurture that relationship by sending a personal email to thank them for “raising their hand” during their weekend.