What is prospecting in sales?
Prospecting is the work of finding potential customers who fit your offer and starting first conversations with them.
Why it matters for sales teams
Prospecting feeds the rest of the sales process. Without a steady flow of new conversations, even a strong closer runs out of deals. It covers two jobs: research, which means finding companies and people who match your ideal customer profile, and outreach, which means contacting them by phone, email or social channels.
Good prospecting is selective. Calling more people helps only if they are the right people and their contact details are correct.
Example
A rep spends Monday morning building a lead list of 60 accounts in her territory that recently raised funding. She finds the head of sales at each, checks phone numbers and emails, and adds a one-line note on why each company might care. In the afternoon she starts calling.
Prospecting vs lead generation
Lead generation usually refers to marketing activity that brings in interested contacts, such as content, ads and events. Prospecting is sales-led: a rep identifies and reaches out to specific people, whether or not they have shown interest yet.