I was teaching a client workshop recently, and I asked the 70 customer-facing people in the room what percentage of their sales go to existing customer.

The answer: over 95%.

Don’t forget about selling to prospects, who you’re not currently doing business with.

We go to customers first because it’s easier, lower-hanging business — especially if we’re in an annuity business, where the same kinds of products and services need to be purchased again and again. Understandably, sales people gravitate towards easier business. Less work, more money.

I understand this, but consider how much business you’re not doing by not focusing some regular, proactive effort on prospects who are not yet buying from you. They need what you sell. They’d be better off working with you than the competition. But they can’t buy from you because your inside and outside sales staff tends not to communicate with them.

To remedy this, create lists of high-priority customers AND prospects to communicate with at the start of each week. Contact people on both lists.

Include prospects in your regular communications and enjoy faster and easier revenue growth.