This guide is designed to equip you with the essential skills needed for prospecting and qualifying leads in the family entertainment center industry. You will learn how to effectively position your offerings to potential clients, engage with gatekeepers who may control access to decision-makers, and secure callbacks to further your business relationships.

Additionally, the guide will cover strategies for using email as a powerful tool in your prospecting efforts. While some of these concepts may already be familiar to you, reinforcing these best practices is crucial for enhancing your ability to build strong, initial connections with potential clients.

Throughout the guide, we will delve into various aspects of prospecting and qualifying, including:

Understanding and building your sales funnel is crucial for event managers. The funnel represents the process from identifying potential leads to closing a sale. At the top of the funnel is lead generation, which involves identifying and engaging with businesses that could host events at your center. The more targeted your top of funnel is, and the wider you can make your funnel (good conversion rates) the healthier your pipeline of consistent revenue your center will have. Key actions include making research calls, positioning your center's offerings, and using email strategies to set up meetings.

Tracking your conversion rates at each stage of the funnel is essential for predictability and consistency. For example, understanding your proposal-to-signed agreement ratio helps gauge the effectiveness of your sales efforts. Regularly monitoring and analyzing these metrics enables you to make data-driven decisions and improve your performance. Better yet if you know that for ever 5 calls you connect with someone and of those 20% of them turn into a meeting you will know how many calls on average you need to make to book 20 meetings in a month. (20/.2) = 100 Connects. Every 5 calls so (5×100) = 500. How many calls a month? Prospecting 3 days a week… 500 calls / 12 days = 42 calls a day. Is 42 calls reasonable?

To build a pipeline of promising event leads, start by identifying businesses in your area that could benefit from hosting events at your family entertainment center. Consider factors like location, business size, and industry to create an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).

With a clear ICP in mind, you can start prospecting and qualifying leads to build a strong event pipeline.

Just because they look like an Ideal Customer doesn't mean they are. Effective research is the foundation of successful prospecting. Conduct thorough research on potential leads to tailor your approach. Categorize or tier leads based on the potential size of the event they might host. For example, larger companies may require more detailed research compared to smaller businesses. Tailor your efforts accordingly to maximize efficiency and results.

Treat initial contacts as research calls. Don't think of them or label them as COLD CALLS. Cold calls are typically avoided at all costs and involve uncomfortable pitching to people who don't want your calls. Think of someone selling cruises. They dial 500 times a day ("Hi sir do you want a cruise!?"). Label them as research calls. The goal is to gather relevant information without overwhelming the potential client. Establish rapport by being personable and engaging. Use scripts to guide conversations, ensuring you ask the right questions to identify decision-makers and understand their needs.

Emails are a powerful tool in your prospecting arsenal. Keep your emails brief and to the point. Use them to qualify leads by setting up meetings rather than trying to sell everything in one message. A well-structured email should include what you see, what you do, and a clear next step. There are many different email methods/strategies you can research, including BASHO, or "Tell em what you see tell em what you do". The best advice is send the email to yourself before you send to a prospective customer. Open it on your smart phone and see how many scrolls it takes to read it. "less is more" ChatGPT is MONEY for this. "please make this more concise and tailored to this persona".

If you are sending more than 30 cold emails a day you may want to consider getting another domain from which you can use to email. Domains get flagged to spam far to easily. There are services that can support you in this. Marketing teams know all about sending mass emails and getting blocked by spam. If you are in sales don't think just because you have these emails you can just message all of them at once.

Consider giving something for free to your prospective customers. Create a guide for running a great event for teams of 20+. You will have done this a lot, spend a bit of time making a guide, offer to share it for free.

Developing effective contact strategies is vital for maintaining engagement with potential clients. Different tiers of leads require different approaches. Be persistent but respectful, using various mediums such as phone calls, emails, and social media to stay in touch. Experiment with different messages to see what resonates best with your audience. Use one channel to compliment another (example LI following an email). Phone calls work very well, depending on the size of the business you may be sent to voice mail but that is okay. Voicemails are a great way to to follow an email, just reference it.

Example "I just shot you an email about an event we are putting on at our center and wanted to invite you".

Adopt the right mentality when prospecting. View each interaction as an opportunity to gather information and build relationships rather than a chance for rejection. Focus on identifying the right person to speak with and setting the next step in the sales process. A positive and persistent attitude will lead to better results and a more enjoyable experience.

By documenting your sales processes, you can hone in on what's really working. This allows you to develop a consistent, repeatable approach to generating new opportunities and converting prospects into customers.

📋 Clarity & Focus: Writing down your sales processes exposes uncertainties and helps refine your approach.

🏆 Measuring Success: Incorporate CRM systems and KPIs to set a baseline for success.

📈 Consistent Performance: Ensure everyone follows the same process for more consistent sales performance.

📊 Scalability: A well-defined playbook makes scaling your sales efforts easier and more effective.

Investing in a sales playbook sets your company up for sustainable growth and success. 🌟

In this guide, we've covered key strategies for prospecting and qualifying leads specifically tailored for event managers at family entertainment centers. By understanding your sales funnel, tracking metrics, conducting effective research calls, and using personalized contact strategies, you can build strong relationships with potential clients and ensure successful events. Apply these strategies consistently, track your progress, and adjust your approach as needed to achieve your goals.

Feel free to ask any questions you have about the guide content. This is an excellent opportunity to clarify any points that may be unclear or to delve deeper into specific areas of interest. By sharing your experiences and challenges, we can learn from each other and collectively improve our prospecting and qualifying skills. Email me: kyle@highkicksales.com

Whether you're facing difficulties in a particular aspect of the sales process or have found success with a unique approach, your input is valuable. This collaborative exchange of ideas and experiences can lead to innovative solutions and refined strategies that benefit everyone in the group.