Fanatical prospecting anywhere: how curiosity and proximity turn everyday encounters into pipeline

Most sales teams keep prospecting inside a spreadsheet. A list, a sequence, a call block.

Fanatical prospectors don’t. They notice buying signals everywhere — on a billboard, a lanyard, a departure board, in a conversation with the person next to them.

Anyone can build this instinct. It starts with actually looking.

Signals are everywhere, if you’re looking

Landing somewhere new? Look at the signage around you. Who’s advertising on the freeway. Which brands have airport placements. What trucks are on the road.

A business with budget for advertising, staff travelling, and a presence in multiple locations is usually a business that’s growing. And growing businesses invest, which makes them exactly the kind of organisation worth reaching out to.

The same principle applies no matter what you sell. Ask yourself:

• Do they have an appetite for what we offer?

• Do they have problems we can solve?

• Often the clues are right in front of you — on a billboard, a banner, even a badge.

Curiosity beats a pitch

The instinct behind all of this isn’t a script. It’s curiosity — the same thing that makes you ask a follow‑up question, or notice something everyone else walked past.

It’s not about pitching. It’s about understanding.

You wouldn’t catch up with a friend and open with an agenda. You’d ask questions, listen, and let the conversation go where it needs to. Sales works the same way. A conversation with a stranger on a flight, a chat with someone at a conference — none of it needs an opening pitch. It just needs a genuine question.

Spot a lanyard from a conference at your hotel? That’s a natural opener:

“I noticed your team was in town for [event]. How did it go?”

You’re not forcing anything. You’re connecting on proximity — the most natural entry point there is.