Part 1: The Purpose of Business
“The point of any business is to create a customer.” – Jim Drucker
Over 90% of salespeople face challenges with prospecting, often due to distractions or fear of rejection. This fear arises from the misconception that prospecting is about pushing a product onto uninterested people. In reality, without customers, you don’t have a business—only a hobby.
To succeed, salespeople should dedicate at least 90 minutes every day to prospecting—whether reaching out to new leads or following up with existing ones. Many salespeople struggle with consistency because they lack a disciplined system. Our 90-Day Sales Planner and scoreboard can help you stay on track and focused.
Checklist: What’s holding you back from prospecting for 90 minutes daily?
Lack of leads or targets
Prospecting feels uncomfortable or anxiety-inducing
No structured time blocked for prospecting
Too much inbound demand—no need to prospect
Other: ___
Part 2: Primary Sales Activities
The sales cycle generally follows these steps:
Targeting: Identify potential leads and schedule appointments.
Appointment: Meet with the lead to discuss your offer.
Follow-up: Add them to your follow-up system if they are a potential fit.
Commitment: Once the lead sees the value, they commit to your services.
Delivery: Fulfill the promise and provide excellent service.
Repeat Business & Referrals: Happy customers return for more and refer others.
To succeed, slow down and master these steps. Staying disciplined in these categories will improve retention and reduce lost opportunities.
Sales Cycle Stages
Help List → New leads
Fight Club → Follow-up system
New Client → Customer experience
Promoter → Passive referrals
Advocates → Aggressive referrals
Daily Focus:
50 mins per day on new business (help list & follow-ups)
30 mins per day on existing relationships (clients & advocates)
Exercise: Do you have 50 people in these categories in your database?
Part 3: Secondary Sales Activities
Though labeled "secondary," these activities are crucial for scaling your business and growing your pipeline. They require ongoing effort and nurturing, but when done consistently, they can significantly amplify your results.
Categories of People of Influence:
Connectors: Strategic partners who can open doors for you.
Climbers: Ambitious, up-and-coming individuals who can become valuable allies.
Someday: People who may not be immediate prospects but could be valuable in the future.
Aspirational: Potential future clients or channel partners.
Nextpert: Influential industry experts or talent you should engage with.
These secondary relationships can be game-changers when nurtured properly. When you combine them with primary sales strategies, your Proactive Prospecting System will generate consistent demand from various sources.
Why Most People Overlook These Groups
Many professionals in these categories lack a CRM, structure, or long-term vision. They aren’t consistently seeking new opportunities and often take a short-sighted approach. That’s why they need disciplined follow-up and engagement. Every single connection has the potential to grow your business.
Daily Action Plan:
10 minutes connecting with your strategic partners (Connectors)
10 minutes engaging with other influencers (Climbers, Someday, Aspirational, Nextpert)
Exercise: Do you have at least 25 people in your database from these categories? If not, start identifying and adding them today!