CASE STUDY: Prospecting - a layered approach

Delmic sales team

Delmic are a high-tech company based in Delft, in the Netherlands, since 2011. They develop powerful and user-friendly solutions for light and electron microscopy.
They are creating a greener and healthier future by making microscopy an easy and accessible technology through automation of the entire workflow, allowing researchers and companies to get insights faster and more easily.
‘‘In the Lysna Prospecting workshop I experienced that prospecting is about being me, reaching out to others with the value I believe in. It is also about connecting and being curious about where the prospect is. We put the concepts directly into practice by making the cold calls with prospects. Adding skills like these is truly relevant for me and my future career.”
- Sales engineer, Delmic

So what happened?

The global sales team of smart people knew how to do consultative selling but had problems filling their pipeline with new leads. And to grow their business they must expand their network and actively reach out to a specific set of potential customers to plant the seed for their solutions’ value add.

Prospecting is a numbers game: you reach out to x number of people; you talk to some of them; and you convert a couple into leads. 
This ‘brainy’ sales way of working is relevant for this team, but it is not enough.

In this one-day workshop, we worked on different layers beginning with the prospecting process, the value they bring. They called and learned from each other, they looked at the barriers that stood in the way of their prospecting, and they found new ways to make it work for them.

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1

Challenges

The tension and resistance to working on this topic was an elephant in the room.
There were deeper issues to cover, like:
‘We cannot call people, they are busy, and they are never there, so it is a waste of time.’ ‘Who am I to contact a professor?’ This could be about self-belief or belief in the value of the solutions.
‘How do I build a connection with others?’

This is about making contact and building a connection.
2

Process

When there is tension and resistance, it must be addressed right away. People need to feel safe to be able to learn.

So, after an open and honest conversation about this, we created their definitions, process, and value message (pitch). They practised them in a playful way.

The afternoon was used for making the actual calls. Experiencing what it means to be in the numbers game of prospecting. Learning from others, doing it together and celebrating the small successes.

We used Leary’s Rose to explore their communication patterns with more dominant people and what they can do to stand their ground and reach their objectives.
3

Impact

Clear understanding of the need to reach out and connect to others who should know about the solutions. And how to be curious.

Stronger self-belief and belief in the solutions.
Practical ways to stand your ground, even when you are young and new in an established male-dominated environment.