Trick or Treat Prospecting

I learned a valuable lesson this weekend when trick-or-treating with my 2.5 year old son. As we were putting his costume on I was explaining to him how we were going to go from door to door and say “trick or treat” and then he would get candy from the person at the door. My wife stayed at the house so she could pass out the candy and stay with our newborn. She frantically took pictures as we bolted out the door heading down the sidewalk in our neighborhood.

The first few houses all had their lights on so my son quickly scampered up to the door, knocked as hard as he could then yelled “trick or treat” with the biggest smile on his face. He received his candy said thank you and left. The next house didn’t have their light on, it didn’t stop him. He was starting to run up to the door and I had to explain that if they didn’t have their light on we couldn’t go up to their house. His reply “but I want more Candy daddy!”

Like most young kids he had no fear. It didn’t matter if the lights were not on, if a big dog was in the door looking out, if their porch was decorated with scary Halloween decorations he wanted to go up to the door. Why? Because he wanted candy!

Now take this example and look at the prospecting world for professional sales. Prospecting is like trick or treating. How bad do you want to fill your bucket up with “candy?” Are you willing to go to every house possible? Will you go up to the door even if a big dog is lurking behind the glass? What if there are spooky ghosts and goblins waiting outside? I learned a valuable lesson this weekend, I am going to prospect like a 2.5 year old trick or treats.

Aaron Prickel