I remember being given a prospect list that had a company on it that hadn't existed for ten years.

Each salesperson needs to take responsibility for themselves using spreadsheets or if you are lucky enough to have a sales navigator licence. 

Better still you have the free resource of LinkedIn.com.

Most importantly you need to take responsibility for yourself.

What should you do if your prospect list is out of date?

First you need a buyer centric profile - This is a profile that a buyer will see you as a person that people want to do business with.

Problem is for sales people is that they look like .... sales people.  We (as buyers) don't trust salespeople.  We train and coach people on how to have a buyer centric profile as part of our social selling and influence course. 

Then start building your list

You do this by connecting to people.  Literally move your analogue territory online.  BUT and it's a big but, don't sell.  This is a social network.  What do I mean?

Think of a social network as a networking event, you go up to people and start conversations.

Why? because conversations create sales.  Pitching to people just gets you blocked.

Subtle difference I know. :)

Don't worry, we teach you all about this in our social selling and influence course. 

You may well be better off contacting new people, rather than the same old, same old, people that say no.

And content - Branded content Vs relationship building content

There are two types of content; branded content, brochureware and what we call relationship building content.  This is where you demonstrate that you are an expert, you support the businesses in your network with insight (this will nurture your list) and where you show the people (remember it's people on Linkedin not companies) that you are a person too.  This is humanised or life content.

We will teach you all about this in our social selling and influence course, more at our website.

Either way, if your list is out of date, take responsibility for yourself and start building your own list, nurture that list and have conversations with that list.

It will be an investment well made.