Prospecting for Gold

In the early history of the U.S., large groups of people moved west in order to prospect for gold. These people were in search of riches, and they worked hard cleaning the sand and gravel until they uncovered the sought-after golden stones. But even after they were uncovered, there was still work to be done to make them of value; they had to be cleaned and sold in order to turn a profit.

Over time, groups of miners became more efficient in their processes and learned how to uncover large amounts of gold at a time, taking the individual miner out of the game.

In the modern era, businesses have their own version of gold prospecting – we call it prospecting for leads. True, we didn’t have to move out west in order to find our gold, but, we did have to change our tactics to become more efficient in the process over time to ensure we were looking in the right places for our best leads.

Lead prospecting started decades ago with salesmen going door-to-door. Then, cold calling to random phone numbers became more efficient. But, this process eventually became outdated as well as potentially illegal, once the “Do Not Call Registry” went into effect. So, once again the process to prospect for leads had to evolve to meet the modern-day need.

Turn the page to today, and lead prospecting has become a scientific and strategic methodology. It starts with identifying a target demographic, sociographic, firmographic or the like, and ends with a strategically placed, well-crafted message designed to intrigue leads to respond … or at least not to unsubscribe. What was once a random shot in the dark is now a planned and effective campaign with tangible results.

What companies need to note about prospecting in today’s business environment – it’s really no longer about who you know, but rather, it’s more about what you know about them. Prospect lists don’t have to be a singular list of people you met on the street – they can also be lists you purchased of people who look and behave like your best customers. This happens to be something we specialize in at B2E. If you need help evolving your prospecting process, contact us. Let us help you find your gold!