Not
long ago I caught a program
on the History Channel
about Fort Knox, where
the United States' gold
reserve is kept. It was
amazing. It is one of
the most secure and guarded
places in America, if
not the world. It is not
open for tours. No one
gets to see the gold--not
even the president if
he wanted to.
In today's
economy, you have no doubt
seen more and more commercials
promoting the investment
in gold (which has topped
$1,000 per ounce). It
goes to show how much
just a little bit
of gold is worth.
Indeed, one of the oldest
usages of the word prospecting
is associated with gold!
More
than 18 months ago, I
began to teach "prospecting
bootcamps"--which
packs quite a bit of prospecting
fundamentals with some
less common stuff many
of us have yet to apply.
In three hours, I cover
quite a bit of material,
and the volume can be
overwhelming.
Consider
the countless approaches
there are to prospect,
whether you are in the
business of sales or engaged
in a job search:
- Cold
calling (let’s
get it out of the way)
- Pre-approach
letters & follow-up
calls
- Public
speaking
- Observation
(looking for opportunity)
- Social
mobility (volunteering
and community work)
- Referrals
& Introductions
- Social
media (LinkedIn, Facebook,
Twitter, Plaxo)
- Networking
groups
- Referral
clubs (Goldstar, AmSpirit,
LeTip, BNI)
- Neighborhood
canvassing
This
list could go on and on.
Indeed, the Third
Edition of Prospect
& Flourish ships
December 2nd,
and I already have specific
topics yet to be addressed
in my mind for the fourth
edition!
My
point is that it's easy
to get overwhelmed.
We allow ourselves to
be confused and occasionally
spread out too thin either
doing too much, or doing
nothing at all (As for
me, guilty as charged.).
Don't
let this happen. As you
learn about the countless
approaches, do it with
the intent on focusing
on just two or three "nuggets."
Just one approach
(I call it a gold nugget)
that appeals to your personality
and leverages your strengths,
when applied with persistence,
can be worth many times
more than...well I don't
want to say all the gold
in Fort Knox (that's a
LOT) but, I think you
get my point.
But
we are not talking about
a "gold rush"--which
advances the notion of
short term efforts yielding
big, overnight results.
Rarely this happens. It
takes time. If you will
pardon my sudden shift
in metaphors: Indeed,
when it rains, it often
does pour. We have seen
it time and again.
What
is less apparent to the
masses however, is the
very long dry
season that preceded it--the
Season of Endurance.
