Prospecting. Are We Having Fun Yet?

Fun? Are you kidding? How do you have fun prospecting? You can, you know, and it all starts with the right attitude. I recently had knee surgery and am now going through physical therapy. One of my routines is to stand on one leg (yep, the bad one) on a 4” thick piece of foam. Not much of a problem until I do the second part which is to close my eyes and slowly count to 30. Within 15 seconds I am grabbing the wall for stability. Prospecting is like standing on one leg. Ya, a little difficult and uncomfortable, but manageable. Unless you close your eyes by not having the right attitude.

So, how do you keep your eyes open? By getting into the right frame of mind. Prospecting should be approached like an exciting journey, not a scientific research study. With an exciting journey you can’t fail, because the objective is the journey! A scientific research study, on the other hand, has as its sole objective to find the answer. Right/wrong. Black/white. Success/failure.

Martin Luther was said to have counseled a working father of the 16th century to stop on his way home from work for a beer, so that he could meet his family unencumbered with the stress of his work. In other words, an attitude shift. Have you ever left the office with cell phone in hand, continued your work through the conversation, pulled into your driveway and walked into the house and then end the work call just as you are greeted by your family? How difficult was it to change your frame of mind and really focus on your family?

Next time you go on a serious prospecting initiative, don’t begin it with number crunching, analyzing a report, or reading a compliance memo. Right/wrong. Black/white. Success/failure. Rather, put an Indiana Jones movie into your DVD and watch it! Or at least a video clip of a humorous or exciting movie on your desk top. Shift to an exciting journey. Then, with your eyes wide open, go ahead and start your journey. You’ll be fine! After all, you’re not seeking a right/wrong answer – just a little excitement.