The different types of prospecting: how to choose?
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 5:55 am
For a company, prospecting is one of the ways to find new customers . The world of prospecting is vast and varied in terms of methods. While analogue prospecting (telephone, door-to-door, trade fairs, etc.) was the only technique used in the past, it is now gradually being replaced by digital prospecting. Strategies differ depending on the specific objectives of each company.
In this guide, discover our tips for choosing the right type of prospecting for your needs.
What is prospecting?
Every year, companies experience the phenomenon of attrition. They "naturally" lose a part of their clientele. There are two forms of attrition:
Switch to another brand offering. This is relative attrition;
Abandoning a product or service to buy one from a competitor;
Stop using the brand's product, cancel a subscription.
In the last two cases, the attrition is total for the company. To avoid affecting its profitability, it must try to avoid it.
Sales prospecting is based on identifying new customers to boost turnover. It is essential for companies as it allows them to compensate for lost customers. In addition to telephone, door-to-door or trade fairs, digital marketing is emerging as a complementary prospecting tool.
Online prospecting is a continuous process , more or less overseas chinese in australia data long. Between the first contact, the decision and the purchase, the prospect goes through several stages. The further he advances in the sales funnel, the more he demonstrates a strong interest in your brand. The challenge to prospect effectively is to quickly identify the customer profile to which your offer may correspond.
Please note: What are the stages of the conversion funnel?
A conversion funnel or sales funnel refers to the process a lead takes to become a customer. It is often represented by an inverted pyramid . A sales funnel consists of four key stages , with main challenges:
Discovery : attract attention, improve visibility, make yourself known, generate traffic, convert strangers into visitors;
Interest : optimize content, advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), awaken the desire to know more, convert visitors into prospects, identify pain points;
Action : create the desire to make a purchase, convert prospects into customers;
Enchantment : building customer loyalty and turning them into brand ambassadors.
What are the different categories in prospecting?
Two categories of commercial prospecting can be distinguished:.

Classical or analogue "offline" prospecting;
Digital or online prospecting.
Among the offline prospecting techniques, we find:
The telephone . For sales teams, this technique consists of prospecting using a database. On average, a company makes 52 calls a day. 45% of prospects contacted by phone buy a product or service. 81% of sales are made after the fifth call;
The terrain . Here, the idea is to meet prospects without intermediaries;
Trade fairs . Accessible to all companies, these events are an opportunity to increase awareness and sales.
Online prospecting techniques include :
Social media or social selling. Half of French salespeople use LinkedIn to collect prospect data. 67% of B2B companies use Twitter. 96% of B2C marketers use Facebook to prospect. 96% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to distribute their content.
Email marketing. Half of customers appreciate receiving promotional emails. 21.5% of emails are opened;
Lead generation. This sales prospecting tool is based on the collection of qualified prospects.
In this guide, discover our tips for choosing the right type of prospecting for your needs.
What is prospecting?
Every year, companies experience the phenomenon of attrition. They "naturally" lose a part of their clientele. There are two forms of attrition:
Switch to another brand offering. This is relative attrition;
Abandoning a product or service to buy one from a competitor;
Stop using the brand's product, cancel a subscription.
In the last two cases, the attrition is total for the company. To avoid affecting its profitability, it must try to avoid it.
Sales prospecting is based on identifying new customers to boost turnover. It is essential for companies as it allows them to compensate for lost customers. In addition to telephone, door-to-door or trade fairs, digital marketing is emerging as a complementary prospecting tool.
Online prospecting is a continuous process , more or less overseas chinese in australia data long. Between the first contact, the decision and the purchase, the prospect goes through several stages. The further he advances in the sales funnel, the more he demonstrates a strong interest in your brand. The challenge to prospect effectively is to quickly identify the customer profile to which your offer may correspond.
Please note: What are the stages of the conversion funnel?
A conversion funnel or sales funnel refers to the process a lead takes to become a customer. It is often represented by an inverted pyramid . A sales funnel consists of four key stages , with main challenges:
Discovery : attract attention, improve visibility, make yourself known, generate traffic, convert strangers into visitors;
Interest : optimize content, advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), awaken the desire to know more, convert visitors into prospects, identify pain points;
Action : create the desire to make a purchase, convert prospects into customers;
Enchantment : building customer loyalty and turning them into brand ambassadors.
What are the different categories in prospecting?
Two categories of commercial prospecting can be distinguished:.

Classical or analogue "offline" prospecting;
Digital or online prospecting.
Among the offline prospecting techniques, we find:
The telephone . For sales teams, this technique consists of prospecting using a database. On average, a company makes 52 calls a day. 45% of prospects contacted by phone buy a product or service. 81% of sales are made after the fifth call;
The terrain . Here, the idea is to meet prospects without intermediaries;
Trade fairs . Accessible to all companies, these events are an opportunity to increase awareness and sales.
Online prospecting techniques include :
Social media or social selling. Half of French salespeople use LinkedIn to collect prospect data. 67% of B2B companies use Twitter. 96% of B2C marketers use Facebook to prospect. 96% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to distribute their content.
Email marketing. Half of customers appreciate receiving promotional emails. 21.5% of emails are opened;
Lead generation. This sales prospecting tool is based on the collection of qualified prospects.