7 December, 2024
by Jean-Pierre Mercier

How to prospect to sell according to AI

After testingAI on the search “how to sell”, I’m testing it this time on the query: “how to prospect to sell more” and on three different tools, ChatGPT from OpenAI, Copilot from Microsoft and Gemini from Google. I’ll let you make up your own mind about the quality of the answers, and I’ll give you […]

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After testingAI on the search “how to sell”, I’m testing it this time on the query: “how to prospect to sell more” and on three different tools, ChatGPT from OpenAI, Copilot from Microsoft and Gemini from Google.

I’ll let you make up your own mind about the quality of the answers, and I’ll give you mine at the end of the article.

How to prospect with Chat GPT

Prospecting effectively to sell more requires a strategic and well-organized approach. Here are some key steps to improve your prospecting efforts:

1. Identify your ideal target

  • Clearly define your ideal customer age, profession, industry, location, specific needs.
  • Use tools to better understand their behaviors and motivations.

2. Use the right tools

  • CRM (Customer Relationship Management): Centralize and track your leads (e.g. HubSpot, Salesforce).
  • Digital prospecting tools: LinkedIn Sales Navigator, automated e-mails, or exploration software like Hunter.io to find relevant contacts.

3. Create a clear value proposition

  • Emphasize the benefits of your products/services, not just their functionalities.
  • Prepare customized pitches that address each prospect’s specific problems.

4. Optimize your prospecting channels

  • Cold calls: Prepare a script that grabs attention in the first few seconds.
  • Social networks: Join groups or forums where your prospects are, and share relevant content.
  • Emailing: Send short, engaging emails tailored to each prospect segment.

5. Data processing

  • Analyze your prospects’ data to better segment them.
  • Identify prospects with a high probability of purchase (lead scoring).

6. Be persistent but not intrusive

  • Follow up your prospects regularly, but without over-soliciting them.
  • Use a calendar or CRM to set reminders and maintain the relationship.

7. Test and iterate

  • Experiment with different approaches: messages, channels, schedules.
  • Analyze the results and adjust your strategies according to what works.

In short, successful prospecting relies on a thorough understanding of your prospects, high-performance tools, and relevant, regular communication.

How to prospect with Copilot

Effective prospecting is crucial to increasing your sales. Here are some strategies and tips to improve your prospecting:

1. Identify your target audience

Determine who your ideal customers are, based on their needs, interests and behaviors. Create customer profiles to better understand them.

2. Using CRM tools

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems can help you organize and track your leads, automate tasks, and analyze interactions to better manage your prospecting.

3. Get to know your prospects

Research your prospects before you contact them. Understand their specific needs, their challenges and how your product or service can provide a solution.

4. Multichannel prospecting strategies

Don’t hesitate to use multiple channels to prospect, such as e-mail, phone calls, social networks, and in-person events. Each channel can reach different segments of your target audience.

5. Creating relevant content

Write informative, useful content that answers your prospects’ common questions. Blog posts, white papers and webinars can attract and educate your prospects.

6. Using social networks

Platforms like LinkedIn are excellent for identifying and engaging prospects. Participate in relevant groups, share valuable content, and interact with your prospects’ posts.

7. Automate prospecting

Use automation tools to send personalized follow-up e-mails and schedule reminders. This allows you to stay in touch with prospects without spending too much time on it.

8. Personalize Your Approach

Every prospect is unique. Personalize your messages according to their needs and situation. Show that you understand their specific challenges and have the right solution.

9. Rigorous follow-up

Don’t settle for a first contact. Follow up your prospects regularly to stay on their minds and show your interest in their problem.

10. Analyze and Optimize

Analyze your prospecting results to see what’s working and what’s not. Adjust your strategy based on the data collected to continually improve your approach.

How to prospect according to Gemini

How to Prospect to Sell More

Prospecting is a key element of any sales strategy. It involves identifying potential new customers and converting them into actual customers. But how can you prospect effectively and increase your sales? Here are a few tips:

1. Define your ideal target

  • Who is your ideal customer? Describe it as precisely as possible: age, business sector, company size, specific needs, etc.
  • Where can I find it? What are the most appropriate channels for contacting them (social networks, trade shows, directories, etc.)?

2. Create a database of qualified prospects

  • Collect relevant information: Name, company, contact details, specific needs, etc.
  • Use CRM tools: These tools will enable you to manage your database efficiently and track the evolution of your relationships with prospects.

3. Choose the right prospecting channels

  • The telephone: Personalized contact allows you to build a relationship quickly.
  • Email: Ideal for sending detailed information and personalized offers.
  • Social networks: Start conversations and expand your network.
  • Trade shows: to meet prospects face-to-face.

4. Prepare your sales pitch

  • Highlight the benefits of your product or service: How will your offer solve your prospect’s problems?
  • Personalize your message: Show that you’re interested in his business.
  • Be concise and clear: get straight to the point.

5. Overcome objections

  • Anticipate objections: Prepare clear, convincing answers.
  • Listen actively: Understand your prospect’s concerns.
  • Rephrase the objection: Make sure you understand.
  • Provide solutions: Show that you’ve thought of everything.

6. Track your results

  • Measure your conversion rate: How many prospects turn into customers?
  • Analyze your performance: Which channels are most effective? Which messages work best?
  • Adjust your strategy: Make the necessary changes to improve your results.

Additional Tools and Techniques

  • Marketing automation: automate certain prospecting tasks and save time.
  • Social selling: Using social networks as a sales tool.
  • Content marketing: attract qualified prospects through relevant content.
  • Networking: Develop your professional network.

In short, effective prospecting requires good preparation, personalized messages, active listening and rigorous follow-up of results.

For further information, please consult these resources:

Do you have any other questions about prospecting? I can help you go deeper into a particular subject.

For example, you might ask:

  • What are the best practices for prospecting on LinkedIn?
  • How to create an effective prospecting email?
  • Which CRM tools are best suited to small businesses?

Which tool provided the best response?

The tool that gave the vaguest answer was Copilot. The steps are correct, but the answers are too imprecise for a beginner to be able to prospect effectively by following them.

ChatGPT is better, more concrete, more precise, but it’s still a little too general, lacking, for example, the key part of creating a database. The best is without doubt Gemini, even if it sometimes goes into a little too much detail, but it’s better to have more than less. It has the advantage of clarifying the need to create a database, and provides practical advice on creating a sales pitch.

Generally speaking, the tools forget the first part, which is the analysis of our strengths and weaknesses in order to choose the most attractive and affordable target. None of them, not even Gemini, makes the key difference between the call script, telephone or e-mail, for making appointments, and the sales pitch, which is fundamental in the business market.

My suggested prospecting steps

Without going into the details of each step, which you can find in our sales courses, here are the steps you need to follow to prospect and sell more.

  1. Analysez vos forces et faiblesses par rapport au marché
    1. Analyze the market
    1. Identify your strengths and weaknesses
    1. Réalisez une analyse SWOT : forces, faiblesses, danger, opportunité
    1. Choose the target that pays off most easily
  2. Définissez la cible
    1. Choisir les moyens de la trouver : annuaires, recherches internet, associations professionnelles, listes payantes.
    1. Obtenir les données nécessaires pour chaque prospect : nom de l’entreprise, nom du décideur pour notre domaine, téléphone, courrier électronique. Éviter de mettre trop de détails non essentiels durant la prospection.
    1. Create a solicitation list
  3. Choose and organize your CRM
    1. Choose the right CRM according to your financial resources and objectives. Big CRMs like Salesforce for large companies, simple CRMs like ActionClient for SMEs or the self-employed. Always opt for simplicity and efficiency rather than complete, complex solutions.
    1. Prioritize your customers and prospects
  4. Identify prospecting channels
    1. The telephone for calling and prospecting
    1. Electronic mail
    1. Social networks such as LinkedIn and Instagram
    1. Networking
    1. Trade shows
  5. Écrivez votre script de prise de rendez-vous
    1. It should be short, also known as an elevator pitch.
    1. Il doit : positionner la situation du client, présenter les avantages de prolonger cette discussion pour qu’il en sache plus sur ce qu’il pourrait retirer
    1. Make one version for your phone, another for your e-mail, it’s almost identical.
  6. Prospect!
    1. Use the channel of your choice
    1. This is the hardest part, so be motivated, it’s statistical, every no brings you closer to yes.
  7. Create your sales pitch before the meeting
    1. Making contact
    1. Discovery questions
    1. Your offer and the benefits for the customer
    1. The main objections and the best answers
    1. How to close your sale
    1. Follow-up
  8. Meet your customers
    1. Make an offer immediately or at the second meeting
    1. Record every customer contact in your CRM
    1. Keep improving your sales pitch
  9. Keep track of your customers
    1. Your priority is the customers to whom you have made offers
    1. Then there are your important, ready-to-buy customers and prospects.
  10. Analyze your results and key figures
    1. Number of calls or contacts per day
    1. The number of customer meetings
    1. Conversion rate
    1. Average sales
  11. Review your targets and strategy regularly

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence provides a lot of leads, but can overlook some important ones, so it’s best to run the same query through several tools, and supplement their answers. In all cases, a specialist will help you avoid costly mistakes and maximize your chances of success.

Jean-Pierre Mercier

Our sales training