The LinkedIn Edge

1The Pipe Is Life

Here is a brutal and undeniable truth: The number one reason for failure in sales is an empty pipeline, and the number one reason you have an empty pipeline is that you are not doing enough prospecting.¹

In sales, everything rests on putting qualified opportunities in your pipeline. Prospecting is the beginning and the end, alpha and omega. It is also the one activity that salespeople despise more than any other.

As a rule, we will do anything in our power to delay, procrastinate, or avoid it. But it doesn't matter how much you hate it; if you don't prospect, you will fail. That is a guaranteed truth.

In modern sales there are two types of prospecting: fast and slow.

Fast

When you need to build your pipeline right now, nothing works better than outbound prospecting. This means taking direct and immediate action to interrupt, engage, and convert leads into qualified pipeline opportunities.

Fast prospecting is rejection‐dense, which is why many salespeople shun it. On the other hand, it is incredibly effective for building pipe when done right.

Slow

Slow prospecting is a more nuanced approach. It is still outcome focused—putting qualified opportunities into the pipeline—but here we are playing the long game.

Slow prospecting techniques include inbound lead generation, leveraging your network for warm introductions, nurturing high‐value prospects, and cultivating future opportunities. It is relatively rejection‐free but requires faith that, by doing the ...