--- title: Winning the Numbers Game in Prospecting - CCSalesPro description:   Today I want to explain how to win the numbers game in prospecting.  I’m in the midst of the best sales book I’ve ever read.  I highly recommend Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb Blount.  The information in this episode comes from my reading.  This book has really had an impact on my understanding; I’m excited […] image: https://www.ccsalespro.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/winning-the-numbers-game-01.jpg --- Blog # Winning the Numbers Game in Prospecting Today I want to explain how to win the numbers game in prospecting. I’m in the midst of the best sales book I’ve ever read. I highly recommend Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb Blount. The information in this episode comes from my reading. This book has really had an impact on my understanding; I’m excited […] [ James Shepherd ](https://www.ccsalespro.com/blog/author/james-shepherd) Apr 3, 2018 --- [![](https://www.ccsalespro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/listen-on-stitcher-May-04-2023-05-27-40-0703-PM.png?width=125&height=47&name=listen-on-stitcher-May-04-2023-05-27-40-0703-PM.png)](https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/ccsalespro/e/53952757?autoplay=true)[![](https://www.ccsalespro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/listen-on-itunes-May-04-2023-05-27-40-3291-PM.png?width=121&height=47&name=listen-on-itunes-May-04-2023-05-27-40-3291-PM.png)](https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/ccsalespro/id492171266?mt=2)   Today I want to explain how to win the numbers game in prospecting.  ***I’m in the midst of the best sales book I’ve ever read.  I highly recommend *[Fanatical Prospecting](https://www.amazon.com/Fanatical-Prospecting-Conversations-Leveraging-Telephone/dp/1119144752/)* by Jeb Blount.***  The information in this episode comes from my reading.  This book has really had an impact on my understanding; I’m excited to share it with you. ([Check out “Fanatical Prospecting” on Amazon by CLICKING HERE.](https://www.amazon.com/Fanatical-Prospecting-Conversations-Leveraging-Telephone/dp/1119144752/)) ***Sales IS a numbers game!  The best sales people are absolutely prospecting***.  You may hear some saying cold calling is dead.  I totally disagree!  That is just ridiculous.  ***I have never met a successful sales person who wasn’t a maniacal prospector.***  Perhaps you know a seasoned sales person, someone with ten or twenty years of experience, who hardly ever prospects.  Instead they get lots of referrals.  ***The reason for their “good fortune” is ten years of prospecting five days a week!*** Prospecting is also a numbers game.  ***There are contacts and closing rate.  Another variable which I rarely address is the pipeline.***  Because of the short sales cycle in merchant services there isn’t much occasion for a lot of prospects in the pipeline.  ***However, there is a big problem concerning the pipeline and prospecting.  Basic math can solve this problem.*** A normal day of full time prospecting for me would include walking into twenty businesses***.  I would probably talk to seven or eight business owners in that day, so I would have those contacts.***  Of those seven or eight, two or three will become prospects who I would enter into my CRM system for a next action step.  Perhaps they’re going to give me a statement.  Or they gave me a statement and need a proposal.  Or maybe I closed them on the spot.  So, I’ll say for this example that there are four prospects.  ***If I repeat that process for five days, there will be twenty people in my data base system.  I’d anticipate in an average week to close three of them.***  Thus, I’ve closed three out of twenty.  Seemingly I would then have seventeen prospects left in my pipeline.  However, the truth is that I have none left! ***The reason I start with twenty, sell three, and have none left is because of my close rate***.  In this case, the close rate (3 divided by 20) is about 12.5% to 15%.  If I’m not careful, I’ll spin my wheels with those seventeen remaining prospects.  ***Putting a shelf life on prospects is important.***  If I know I’m closing 95% of my deals within seven days of the first contact, all the prospects I made eight days ago should be shelved. Here is a more philosophical viewpoint.  ***Consider I’m closing one out of seven people.  If I close one person, that means there are six other people I won’t close. *** I just don’t know which six they are; they are in my prospecting pipeline.  I close three people, and I know I’m closing one out of seven.  Therefore, since three times six equals eighteen, there are eighteen prospects I’m never going to close.  ***The temptation is to keep focusing on those even though mathematically I’m done – I already closed the three.***  I must constantly replenish my pipeline! Now, I’ve illustrated two different ways of viewing this concept.  ***I encourage you to think about this.  It is more difficult to implement than many concepts I present.***  Much depends on the CRM system being used and the method of tracking prospecting.  Find a method to know how many prospects are in the pipeline.  Have twenty good prospects in the pipeline all the time.  ***Every single day put prospects off your radar screen who haven’t been closed in seven days.***  That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow up with one of those people if you have an extra hour.  But in order to continue closing sales regularly, accept that there are a lot of deals you aren’t going to close. ***Obviously, be very careful to keep track on this.  You should know how many good prospects you are working on at any given time.***  The ones you think are good prospects shouldn’t be from more than seven days ago.  Unless you’re working on really big accounts, seven days is the limit – definitely no more than two weeks and DEFINITELY not more than thirty days! **I strongly encourage you to buy *Fanatical Prospecting.****  *I am listening to it on audible right now.  Whatever it costs is a worthwhile investment!  I got it on my audible subscription.  This book will motivate you to get some good prospecting done!  ***Prospecting and sales is a numbers game you CAN win.*** ***Read Yesterday’s Post here:  [Worried about Walking In?  Overcome This Prospecting Fear](https://www.ccsalespro.com/worried-walking-overcome-prospecting-fear/)*** > [Worried About Walking In? Overcome This Prospecting Fear.](https://www.ccsalespro.com/worried-walking-overcome-prospecting-fear/) ***Read the next post here:  [“Desperation” – The Reason You Cannot Close Deals](https://www.ccsalespro.com/desperation-reason-cannot-close-deals/)*** > [“Desperation” – The Reason You Cannot Close Deals](https://www.ccsalespro.com/desperation-reason-cannot-close-deals/)   [Blog](https://www.ccsalespro.com/blog/tag/blog) [![https://www.ccsalespro.com/2026](https://www.ccsalespro.com/hubfs/images/blog%20sidebar/Vertical%20Mastery%20Webinar%20ad.jpg "https://www.ccsalespro.com/2026")](https://www.ccsalespro.com/2026) [![https://fullstackpayments.com/download-app](https://www.ccsalespro.com/hubfs/images/blog%20sidebar/FSP%20vertical%20ad.png "https://fullstackpayments.com/download-app")](https://fullstackpayments.com/download-app) [![How to Sell Merchant Services eBook](https://www.ccsalespro.com/hubfs/images/blog%20sidebar/ads-for-website-2.jpg "How to Sell Merchant Services eBook")](https://www.ccsalespro.com/how-to-sell-merchant-services-in-6-steps) [![GetIsoAmp.com](https://www.ccsalespro.com/hubfs/images/blog%20sidebar/ads-for-website-(1).jpg "GetIsoAmp.com")](https://getisoamp.com/index.php/request-demo/) ## Similar posts Blog ### [What to Say and When to Say it](https://www.ccsalespro.com/blog/what-to-say-and-when-to-say-it) My recent blog article “5 Prospecting Tips” was probably one of the most popular posts I have posted at CCSalesPro but, it generated a lot of... James Shepherd Feb 23, 2013 Blog ### [Three Types of Prospecting – Selling Payment Processing](https://www.ccsalespro.com/blog/three-types-prospecting-selling-payment-processing) Perhaps after watching or reading my previous episodes, you’ve decided to sell credit card processing. The next question for you, then, is, “How are... James Shepherd Mar 13, 2018 Blog ### [Worried About Walking In? Overcome This Prospecting Fear.](https://www.ccsalespro.com/blog/worried-walking-overcome-prospecting-fear) In the previous episode I addressed the fear of phone call prospecting. There aren’t many tips for that one – just pick up the phone and dial!... James Shepherd Apr 2, 2018 ### Get notified about new blog posts Enter your email to have each new CCSalesPro blog article delivered straight to your inbox. 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