Perhaps it’s an overused sales term–sales funnel–but since everyone knows what it means, it makes some sense to work on it today.

As a trainer for B2B  sales teams, I must tell you that “lead generation” is a hot topic right now. When I speak to large groups, I always ask the question: “What’s the biggest issue you have right now in your sales process?”

Without fail, it’s “I don’t have enough business in my sales funnel.”

It’s All In The Attitude
As you know, I’m an unashamed believer that most of our sales problems have their root in “how we think,” Lead generation is no exception. I could spend hundreds of words telling you to get more referrals (see Advanced Selling Podcast, Getting Referrals) or I could give you a cold call script that works like a charm…but it won’t work until you get the right attitude.

So today, let’s get to work on the attitude of building the sales funnel today. There are two.

1. Attitude of Abundance. Seldom do we run across an industry where there is NOT an abundance of prospects in the Universe. What usually exists is simply a scarcity in the actual sales funnel. So let’s assume that you have an abundance of prospects. The attitude for building it is “my sales funnel is a scarce place–a resource–and no one gets in my funnel without passing the test.” What is that test? Simple. The prospect passes the test by having three things: a) pain for what I do–a real problem that he wants to fix; b) an understanding of the money it costs him NOT to fix the problem; and c) the money to actually spend to fix it. Get that sales attitude and watch your demeanor change in the prospecting process.

2.  I am Always Monitoring My Funnel.  Just as I’m discerning about who gets in, I’m also discernng about who stays in. Think about it. Every prospect you are pursuing takes a certain amount of my time and attention. There is not an unlimited amount of either–they are scarce resources. And your sales funnel is like an inventory system that needs control.

So when a prospect fails to continue to act/look like a prospect, I will gently, nicely, elegantly, move on. But I will ALWAYS tell them that. I don’t just stop calling them. I call and say, “Mr. Jones, I’m calling today because I’m getting the feeling that you have decided not to fix the problem we talked about. That’s OK. I just need to tell you I’m moving on if that is your conclusion.”

See how nice that is. Don’t get mean now!

Get these attitudes embedded in that big brain of yours, and watch prospecting become a piece of cake. Comments welcome.