Predictable Prospecting: How to Radically Increase Your B2B Sales Pipeline Hardcover – July 25, 2016

The media could not be loaded. Hi I’m Douglas Burdett, host of The Marketing Book Podcast and I’d like to tell you about the book “Predictable Prospecting: How to Radically Increase Your B2B Sales Pipeline” by Marylou Tyler and Jeremey Donovan.A bit of context: Marylou Tyler is also the co-author of the best selling book “Predictable Revenue.” That’s part of the reason her co-author on that book, Aaron Ross, wrote the foreword to “Predictable Prospecting.” In “Predictable Prospecting” which is widely referred to as “the sales bible of Silicon Valley,” several breakthrough ideas for adding qualified opportunities at the front end of the sales pipeline were introduced that ensure rapid and consistent revenue growth.The first breakthrough idea was that organizations need to have dedicated prospectors versus others who closed the sale. The second breakthrough idea was that phone- and email-based outbound prospecting is the most predictable way to create qualified appointments.In “Predictable Prospecting” the authors have enhanced the key concepts of “Predictable Revenue.” While outbound prospecting remains the big idea, they explain that the world has moved from spray and pray to account-based sales development. Also, they have taken the tactical elements of “Predictable Revenue” and added field-tested details to explain precisely how to build and operate a successful outbound prospecting program.Nothing like this book has existed before. If you’re a business owner or you’re in sales, you’ll definitely want to read “Predictable Prospecting.” And if you’re in marketing, you definitely need to read “Predictable Prospecting.”Why? Because the most successful marketers today are fully informed of and involved in every aspect of the sales funnel. Those who aren’t are becoming of increasingly little value to their company. That’s why.And to listen to an interview with Marylou Tyler about “Predictable Prospecting,” visit MarketingBookPodcast.com

I just finished the sample delivered to my iPad kindle, and I was impressed and relieved. So I can't wait to buy, read and implement. Prospecting is CRITICAL, yet very few sales reps or managers do it well, or at all. It's an activity treated like 1) a fire drill when revenues are down 2) something "done or thought about when there is time". Definitely most orgs lack a clear, consistent strategy. My only concern in what I read (hence the 4 stars): the authors believe that prospecting/lead generation should be staffed separately. (So no presenting, closing, or account management.) Sounds ideal, but most orgs are thin these days, so us reps MUST hunt, farm and admin. So hopefully, this method is efficient and allows time for all the other activities today's modern rep must undertake. Stay tuned for updated review.

Full disclosure- I am Marylou Tyler's partner in Strategic Pipeline and we have worked together on and off over 25 years at three technology companies. When she told me what she was writing about in Predictable Prospecting, my first reaction was "Why are you giving away all our secrets about how to build a successful business development process from the ground up?" But upon hearing her convincing argument and reflection, I decided that this was a book that had to be written because the insights and processes here are too important to every sales and marketing executive that is starting or is in the midst of building a business development team.Predictable Prospecting gives you the complete framework with each step described in detail and with real world examples to get you to your end goal of a successful and scalable sales opportunity development process. As with most corporate endeavors these days you need to consider people, process and technology. And Predictable Prospecting covers all the bases including best practices in managing sales development professionals and direction concerning the various technologies and services that are vital in deploying your business development system.The knowledge and insights in Predictable Prospecting work. I know because Marylou and I use them every day with our clients at Strategic Pipeline. Good luck with your journey!

I always try and find something of value in the books I read. Something I can take away and apply. For me with this book was the fact that times have changed in the last 10 years and long emails no longer cut it.

I was skeptical. I had watched a webinar where Marylou Tyler walked through the steps of Predictable Prospecting and thought "this looks great for a company with a sales team". I was skeptical that it would work for me as a solo business owner. I was wrong! And I am glad I was wrong! I had been using social media and networking events to prospect and get sales. And it was working. I just wanted a more predictable way to have a full pipeline and I found it in this book. Not only is it working for me, it's working for another solo business owner I shared it with. What business am I in? I do business research and marketing consulting. The other business owner works exclusively with attorneys and law firms as a researcher (think a step above paralegal). We know our target market. We know how to approach them. We just needed an extra tool and an outline (system) of how to keep our names and businesses in front of them. This book showed us how. Yes, I have added prospects to my network. Yes, I have a process for following up with them. And, yes, I have increased my sales. The foundation for Predictable Prospecting will work for any business.