3 Steps to Bring Consistency to Your Prospecting – #TomFerryShow

January 9, 2018

For the vast majority of agents, I’m willing to bet the biggest obstacle to building the business they desire is a lack of consistency when it comes to prospecting.
Some days you’re just too busy.
Some days you don’t know who to call.
Some days you don’t know what to say.
And some days you just don’t feel like it… “I’ll make it up tomorrow.” (Yeah, right.)
But every call you don’t make is an opportunity lost… A widening of the gap between you and your goals and achieving your full potential.
That’s why, no matter how hard it seems, it’s crucial that you find a way to build consistency into your prospecting.
The ultimate goal is to make it automatic.
Imagine that… What would happen to your business if it was easy and you made all of your calls every day?
I can’t guarantee these three tips will make prospecting automatic, but they’ll definitely take you closer to that goal.

Action Step No. 1: Stop Calling it “Prospecting”

Labels are powerful things.
I don’t know about you, but the word “prospecting” doesn’t get me excited. It doesn’t pump me up and make me feel like I can run through a wall.
(It actually reminds me of a craggy old man holding a rusted pan in a dusty California mine shaft, but maybe that’s just me.)
What I’m saying is I have no emotional connection with the term “prospecting.”
If you feel the same way, do what I do… call it something else!
Maybe something like:

Appointment Setting Time
Making My Money Calls
My Business Building Calls
My Kids’ Future is More Important than My Candy-Ass Fears

Change the name, change the association, change the motivation.
Find a name that gets you going and fires you up, and forget about “prospecting” forevermore.

Action Step No. 2: Schedule It with Structure

It’s real simple. You’ve probably heard me say it a million times:
“If it’s not on your schedule, it doesn’t exist.”
You must put time on your calendar devoted exclusively to making your calls.
Think of it as important as an appointment with a client.
If you’re already doing that and still struggling to make your calls consistently, it’s time to introduce some psychology into the equation.
Find a way to make it fun. Or up your accountability. Play to your pain or pleasure.
Maybe you “buddy up” with a friend to both make your calls at the same time.
With today’s technology, you don’t even have to be on the same continent to accomplish this. You can use Zoom to visually connect and watch your accountability partner make his or her calls while you make yours.

Action Step No. 3: Create a Competition

Considering your calls dictate your income, it doesn’t seem like you should need any more incentive to inspire you to actually pick up the phone.
But “seem like” and “reality” are two different things.
Some people just don’t perform as well unless there’s an additional incentive on the line.
If that’s you, create a competition.
Square off versus one of your peers on a monthlong appointment setting competition.
Or you don’t even need a competitor… You can challenge yourself to set a big, bold number of appointments per month. Create a reward if you conquer the challenge. Create a penalty if you don’t — mailing a check to a political party that opposes your own, for instance. Share what you’re doing with your coach or find an accountability partner to hold you to the challenge.
Whatever the terms of your competition, it needs to get under your skin and compel you to make those calls. It’s going to drive you to do the work.

BONUS ACTION STEP: Create Your Shrine

Back when I was in phone sales, I created a shrine as well as a whole ceremony for making my calls.
On a fold-out presentation board from an office supply store, I posted the most important scripts I would use, including rapport builders, qualifying scripts and objection handlers. That way, I would always know what to say and could focus on the client on the other end of the phone.
My shrine also included a photo of baseball’s “Ironman,” Cal Ripken, Jr. as a metaphor for showing up every day and making my calls consistently.
Then there was the emotional hook… a photo of my family in Hawaii with a note that said, “Daddy, take us back to Hawaii please!”
Finally, the shrine included a mirror to remind me to smile and that I was providing value and trying to help people.
Enjoy this old video where I demonstrate an example:

These three steps should move you closer to that ideal of making your calls an “automatic” part of your business. Post in the comments to let me know which ones you commit to and share your own techniques for making prospecting more efficient. (I’m especially interested to read your alternate names for “prospecting.” Show me what you got!)