Are you tired of building rapport that leads nowhere? Struggling with reaching out to potential clients without sounding pushy or salesy? Let’s dive into prospecting strategies that actually work—and they might surprise you.
Stop Wasting Time on Unnecessary Rapport
Here’s a controversial take: when reaching out to cold market prospects on social media, don’t start by building rapport. I know this challenges what many trainers teach, but think about it from the recipient’s perspective.
When someone you don’t know messages you with random compliments and small talk, what’s your first thought? “What does this person want from me?” Their guard immediately goes up, and rightfully so.
Instead, get to the point quickly. People appreciate honesty and directness. They don’t want to wade through five messages of fake flattery before you finally reveal your true intentions.
The Perfect Cold Market Reach-Out Formula
Your first message to a cold prospect should include these key elements:
- What you want
- Why them specifically
- An easy way out
Here’s how this looks in practice:
“Hey, I see that you’re a realtor. I happen to work with a lot of realtors to help them make extra money on social media. Would you be open to taking a look at what I’m doing? If not, no big deal.”
Notice how this approach is direct but not pushy. It clearly states why you’re reaching out (their occupation) and gives them an easy way to decline without feeling bad.
Use Location or Occupation as Your Hook
When deciding “why them,” focus on either their occupation or location:
Occupation-based:
“I see that you’re a realtor. We happen to work with a lot of realtors to help them make extra money on social media.”
Location-based:
“I see that you’re in Dallas, Texas. I’m looking to expand my business there. Would you be open to taking a look at what we’re doing and how we’re expanding in Dallas right now?”
The “Would You Be Open” Psychology Hack
Here’s a subtle but powerful psychological hack: most people don’t like to consider themselves “closed-minded.” When you ask “Would you be open to taking a look?” their options are:
- “Yes, I’m open” (feels good)
- “No, I’m closed-minded” (feels bad)
This small language shift increases your chances of getting a positive response.
Reconnecting With Warm Market Contacts
What about reaching out to someone you haven’t spoken to in years? The approach is similar.
Instead of this awkward dance:
“Hey Cindy! How are you? How are the kids? Is John still playing softball? You still make those cherry pies?”
Try this:
“Hey Lisa! It has been so long. I would love to catch up at some point, but listen, I’m actually doing this project and I don’t know why, but your name popped up in my head. I thought it might be something you’d be open to taking a look at. Let’s schedule some time to catch up either way, but would you be at all open to taking a look at this project I’m doing on the side?”
Direct, honest, and it doesn’t waste their time.
The “Side Project” Approach
When describing your business opportunity, consider calling it a “side project.” This language is:
- Unassuming
- Non-threatening
- Doesn’t sound like a huge commitment
Even if your goal is to recruit full-time business builders, most people start part-time anyway. They won’t remember you called it a “side project” once they’re making serious money.
When I was the number one income earner in my company, I still approached prospects by saying “I do this project on the side”—even though I’d made over a million dollars. Why? Because it’s more duplicatable. New team members can’t say “I’m the top earner,” but they can say “I do this on the side.”
Product vs. Opportunity: Know Your Audience
Should you lead with the product or the opportunity? It depends on two factors:
- What you’re most comfortable with
- How the person you’re reaching out to sees you
If you’re known as a business-minded person, leading with the opportunity makes sense. But if you’re the “soccer mom” who suddenly starts talking about making $10,000 a month, your friends might think, “What’s gotten into her?”
The “Burnt Market” Strategy
Have a “burnt market”—people who have seen you jump from opportunity to opportunity without success? There’s still hope, but you need a specific approach:
“Hey, I started this new opportunity, but I don’t think it’s a fit for you. However, I do think you might like the product.”
This pattern interrupt catches them off guard. They were prepared to say “no” to your opportunity, but now they’re curious why you don’t think it’s a good fit for them. Some part of them wants to prove you wrong!
Build a Brand That Makes Prospecting Optional
While these prospecting techniques work, my ultimate goal is to help you build a brand so strong that prospecting becomes optional. When I was generating over 3,000 leads a month without ads, I didn’t have to prospect if I didn’t want to.
With today’s tools—social media, the internet, and more—not building a brand is intellectually lazy. In our Sales and Marketing Mentorship, we focus first on removing your personal sabotage (especially around money), then on building that magnetic brand that attracts people to you.
