Q&A on Preparing for a Prospect Call

Question: What’s the best way to get up to speed quickly on a prospect before a call?

Answer: If it’s a first call and you have built a prospect folder (or gotten your AA or a credit analyst or a management trainee to do it for you), the best sources are probably at you fingertips. If not, here’s the list, in order of importance:

• Relevant material from the company’s website;

• Industry information from First Research, RMA, IBISWorld, Vertical IQ, Lexis Nexis or a trade or professional association;

• Articles about the company or the principals from searches of local business publications or other online sources like LinkedIn;  and

• Credit write-ups about any bank customers in the same industry or niche, which might give you some talking points about “how we work with other companies like yours.”

If you’re making a second (or third or fourth or fifth) call, you should definitely have a prospect folder and in it your notes from previous meetings along with a written account plan. It still would make sense to skim the entire file before your meeting. And if you’re taking a product specialist or your Sales Manager on the call, you have to make sure that the individual gets copies of everything that’s relevant and that you have time to go over your plan for the call before you hit the elevator button to the second floor.

Check out our archived webinar on “Preparing for the First Call on a Prospect” at http://mzbierlyconsulting.webex.com

Bonus offer for Relationship Managers: To download our  complimentary Pre-Call Checklist, click on the image below.

Prospecting Checklist March 17 2015

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