Some companies wait for their customers to get in touch, while others approach anyone to negotiate. These two strategies may work, but the best way to convert sales is to know how to prospect the right customers and that requires knowledge, appropriate tools and strategic thinking.

Have you heard of Rappi, a successful unicorn startup in the delivery segment? Founded in Colombia in 2015, it has expanded and today is present in eight countries in Latin America: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Mexico.

Do you know the secret behind this success? Prospecting new customers in the right place! As its audience is young and connected, the company invested its marketing resources in social networks and spares no efforts to remain relevant on Google, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. But this is just one way, among many others, of capturing leads.

If you, an entrepreneur, want to attract more customers to your business, but don't know where to start, don't worry! Keep reading and find out 5 practical prospecting tips that you can't ignore.

What is customer prospecting? 

In the business world, prospecting means finding potential customers that match the ideal profile of the company. The main idea is to capture the lead so that it becomes a loyal customer.

Even though the great goal is to make a sale, prospecting goes far beyond that. Building a relationship, for example, is the first step in making a person interested in your business.

What to do to prospect new customers

First of all, make sure that your idea, product or service, in fact offers the best solution to a problem. With that certainty, things get easier. Check out the following 5 tips that we have separated to help you prospect new customers:

1 - Get to know your market niche

There is no way to start this list in a different way. For your prospecting to work, you need to understand what is happening in your market, but not superficially! 

Research, get to know in depth the operation of the segment, the competitive strategy, sales opportunities and threats that may arise. Investing in SWOT analysis is a good alternative!

2 - Get to know your client in depth

There is no prospecting without knowing who your potential customers are. Understand your leads' needs, interests, desires, pains and problems to offer them a good solution.

3 - Spend some smart money by creating your own website or portfolio

Being on the web will give your business more credibility, increasing the confidence of consumers who do not know your company yet. So, your showcase also needs to draw attention. How about developing a customized website or portfolio?

In your website you can present your company, mission, vision and values, show products or services you offer, indicate the main active customers, introduce your team and, of course, make your contact available for everybody! 

4 - Learn how to approach

After getting to know the market and the profile of potential customers, it's time to make contact. So, get ready!

Whether by phone, email or social media, be friendly! Never start the conversation by showing how good your company is. Adopt the following strategies:

• Define how to approach and plan possible directions for the conversation to follow;

• Customize the treatment according to the prospect's profile; 

• Make it clear that your goal is to help, not to sell;

• Be human, don't act like a robot with made up phrases and automatic responses;

• Offer solutions. 

 5 - Don’t give up

Selling requires persistence, so don't give up after the first “no”. Of course, putting pressure on the customer is uncomfortable, but a good alternative is to show that you still want to help.

If your contact was not converted into a sale, don’t think it’s lost! Leave the door open if the prospect wants to reach you afterwards.

Now that you know how to prospect new customers, how about following the Rappi model and implementing Digital Marketing in your company? Learn where to start. 

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