Step No. 1: The first step is making cold calls on “suspects.” Suspects are those companies or individuals who may be viable prospects. Usually a cold call interrupts them from something they were doing or getting ready to do. Therefore, it is typically a good idea to send a letter before calling. A marketing campaign may consist of sending 10 to 25 letters a week to suspects. In the letter, you should commit to call them for appointments within one week of the day they get the letter. The “life” of a letter is about 10 days. Do not send more letters than you intend to follow up on. In other words, don't burn up suspects.

Step No. 2: Your job during appointments (or during the initial telephone call) is to determine which suspects are legitimate prospects. Getting “No's” while weeding out suspects should not be viewed negatively. It's simply part of the qualification process. Besides, being told “No” at this stage only means the suspects are not prospects at this time. Courage to make the calls comes from having a lot of suspects to contact, so compile a lengthy list.

Step No. 3: From the suspects, build a list of qualified prospects. This is your pipeline-your life's blood. Without a full pipeline, you will not have the fortitude to walk away from a suspect who is not going to become a viable prospect. Without a full pipeline, you will not have the courage to try to improve your sales process.

Step No. 4: After meeting with prospects, determine which ones are likely to be good fits for you and your agency. These are your future sales. Knowing you have prospects who have the potential to become clients gives you the courage to call others and risk the “No.”

Step No. 5: Present proposals to your qualified prospects.

You may be told “No” in Step No. 1. In Step No. 2, you may be told “No,” but you will not be told “Never.” You will not be told “No” during Step 3. Rather, you will decide if a prospect goes to the next step. You may be told “No” after Step 5. That's when prospects get the chance to determine if your proposition has sufficient value to them.

It takes a good marketing plan, hard work and courage to fill a pipeline. You have to call people and give them a chance to say “No”; you have to network where suspects get a chance to say “No”; and you have to ask for referrals, which gives people a chance to say “No.” You are going to have to acquire the courage to give them that chance.

Remember this, however. If you have done your homework correctly and you are calling the right people and companies, understand that they are not saying, “No, I don't like you.” Nor are they saying, “No–and never ask me again.” What they are saying is, “No, right now I do not have an interest in meeting with you,” or “No, right now I do not have the ability to help you.” “No” means “not now”; it does not mean “Never.”

By being professional and persistent, you will prevail. There are few things more frustrating than to think a prospect has viability, but you do not call them because:

–They are too big for me.

–I am too busy right now.

–I am above cold calling.

–No one I know can introduce me into that company.

–I will get caught up on my prospecting when things calm down.

Then one day you finally call the prospect and find out they recently changed brokers.

I urge you to not tell yourself “No.” Make the call, get the appointment and then begin the process of determining the future of the account.