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High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results
As a salesperson, your pipeline is the key to your success. No matter what changes, that remains the same. Top producers prospect—and they do it ALL THE TIME. “But how?” you ask, “In the age of the Internet, isn’t cold-calling dead?”
Now, in his new book, sales expert Mark Hunter shatters costly prospecting myths and eliminates confusion about what works today. Merging new strategies with proven practices, High-Profit Prospecting will help you:
● Find better leads and qualify them quickly
● Trade cold calling for informed calling
● Tailor your timing and message
● Leave a great voicemail
● Craft compelling emails
● Use social media effectively
● Leverage referrals
● Get past gatekeepers and open new doors
● Steer clear of prospecting pitfalls
● Connect with the C-Suite
● And more
The Internet won’t fill your sales funnel—and you can’t rely on the marketing department for leads (not if you want to succeed). High-Profit Prospecting puts the power back where it belongs—in your hands. Follow its formula and start bringing in valuable new business.
Now, in his new book, sales expert Mark Hunter shatters costly prospecting myths and eliminates confusion about what works today. Merging new strategies with proven practices, High-Profit Prospecting will help you:
● Find better leads and qualify them quickly
● Trade cold calling for informed calling
● Tailor your timing and message
● Leave a great voicemail
● Craft compelling emails
● Use social media effectively
● Leverage referrals
● Get past gatekeepers and open new doors
● Steer clear of prospecting pitfalls
● Connect with the C-Suite
● And more
The Internet won’t fill your sales funnel—and you can’t rely on the marketing department for leads (not if you want to succeed). High-Profit Prospecting puts the power back where it belongs—in your hands. Follow its formula and start bringing in valuable new business.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
183 people are currently reading
685 people want to read
About the author
Mark Hunter
3 books25 followersMARK HUNTER, “The Sales Hunter,” helps individuals and companies identify better prospects and build more profitable customer relationships. An award-winning sales blogger and in-demand speaker, his clients include Samsung, Coca-Cola, American Express, and Sony. He is the author of High-Profit Selling.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 20, 2017
Mark, is "old school" and I don't mean that in a negative way in fact I know he would be flattered. To be successful in sales requires hard work, leads and deals don't just arrive, they have to be found and fought for. Mark makes the argument that the salesperson to be continually prospecting and this book "updates" that process in the modern world. Something that seems to have been forgotten with all this "martech". Mark also makes the case that a prospecting culture is critical in a "top performing" company. Certainly sharpens the prospecting "axe".
October 5, 2016
A great resource for all salespeople
Mark Hunter tells it as it is. This book is full of great tips and strategies to improve your prospecting. It is also a reality check for all salespeople. Prospecting skills are the critical determinant in sales success. And it is hard, full stop. It is also very rewarding. If you are experienced read this book. If you are a rookie treasure this book.
Mark Hunter tells it as it is. This book is full of great tips and strategies to improve your prospecting. It is also a reality check for all salespeople. Prospecting skills are the critical determinant in sales success. And it is hard, full stop. It is also very rewarding. If you are experienced read this book. If you are a rookie treasure this book.
August 18, 2022
This book is a good review of basic prospecting activity. This sound advice points you to the basics that work.
It reminded me of the best basketball coach I had in high school: as we aged, we were technically getting better and always trying out moves we saw from pro players; we thought we ruled the world, but were always a bit short of becoming that season's league winner in the two previous seasons; this new coach had us focus on simple, basic running lines and team plays that we thought we mastered because we could spin a ball on our finger; that season we easily won the league.
Use this book's basic running lines and plays to increase your sales!
It reminded me of the best basketball coach I had in high school: as we aged, we were technically getting better and always trying out moves we saw from pro players; we thought we ruled the world, but were always a bit short of becoming that season's league winner in the two previous seasons; this new coach had us focus on simple, basic running lines and team plays that we thought we mastered because we could spin a ball on our finger; that season we easily won the league.
Use this book's basic running lines and plays to increase your sales!
January 17, 2019
It was clearly written and has some great advice. I believe there were moments where Mark Hunter was trying to be blunt and take the strategy of "telling it like it is", however those moments came off more condescending than I believe the he was trying to convey.
Much of what was written and the practical advice can be found in many other excellent prospecting books such as Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb Blount. This book was just written clearly and easy to understand so it get's high marks for it's accessibility.
Much of what was written and the practical advice can be found in many other excellent prospecting books such as Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb Blount. This book was just written clearly and easy to understand so it get's high marks for it's accessibility.
January 24, 2017
a very good one
April 13, 2020
Sales teams that want to drive exponential growth need to focus on high profit prospects. Mark Hunter has created a practical guidebook to help outbound sales teams do just that.
At the beginning of the book, he clearly makes the case that while communication methods have changed (email, social, instant message, chat…) the real change to which sales reps should pay attention is who has the knowledge. “The evolution of prospecting is not due to the number of communication methods available, but rather to the shift in who has the knowledge.” The knowledge has shifted away from sales reps to prospects.
With this shift in knowledge, Mark agrees with me and Larry Levine, my co-host on the Selling From the Heart Podcast: “[Since] the customer has access to more knowledge, so the only way to counterbalance that is by convincing the customer to have confidence in you.” This confidence begins during the prospecting process. “A prospect who does not have confidence in you is not a prospect.”
This book is practical, full of real-world examples. It also includes frameworks for prospecting fundamentals like emails and call scripts. This is the kind of book a sales professional will want to keep on their desk, dog-eared and with post it notes.
*Focus Your Prospecting Efforts On Ideal Clients
A kindred spirit to the core philosophy of the Revenue Growth Engine, Mark believes in focusing prospecting activity around ideal clients. In the book, he quotes Anthony Iannarino:
“Not all clients are created equal. Neither are all prospects. It’s easy to spend your time with prospects who are receptive, who are willing to meet with you. But the real results you need in sales only come from pursuing your “dream clients,” those prospects for whom you can create breath-taking, jaw-dropping, earth-shattering value.”
A few weeks ago, at the Sales 3.0 conference, I heard Mark talking about the importance of identifying your ideal client profile. I couldn’t agree more. All great prospecting begins with the ideal client.
*Lead With Value Not Price
He believes that the way you start the sales process is the way the process will end. Begin with price, and you’ll get swept to the bottom. “If anything in your sales prospecting strategy is price-oriented, then guess what? You’re naturally going to attract low-value prospects.” Instead, he recommends that you begin with one of two objectives: overcoming a problem or helping them achieve a gain.” In Revenue Growth Engine, the parallel is “outcomes” since buyers don’t buy products, they buy the outcomes the products deliver.
Mark advises: “Don’t overcomplicate things. Keep your focus on the customer’s wants and needs and you’ll avoid having to go down the price trap road.”
*Multi-Channel Prospecting Processes
I often cite the Salesforce.com study that says it takes 6-8 touches to get a viable appointment. Mark agrees. Sales people need to have a plan that includes multiple touches across multiple channels. In the book, he asks a series of excellent questions that can guide a sales rep or team through creating their own prospecting plan that incorporates multiple touches over the phone, email, and social networks.
Mark makes an important correction to many of today’s reps regarding email prospecting. “It’s not that email is a terrible prospecting tool. It’s a fantastic tool when used for the right reasons, and I do use it all the time. Just remember it’s only one of your prospecting tools. Unfortunately because it’s so easy to use, too many salespeople use it too much.”
*Prospecting Must Be The Priority
“Prospecting is not something you do when you don’t have anything else to do. It’s not something you do when you suddenly find yourself without enough customers. Prospecting must be something you do on a regular basis.” Sadly, prospecting has become an “end of the day” priority for many reps and does not get done consistently.
Mark advocates for prospecting to be the first thing a sales rep does each day. He also encourages reps to have discipline: “Motivated people exhibit discipline in what they do and how they do it. With regard to prospecting, that means they have established times to prospect in their day and they do it.”
At the beginning of the book, Mark dispels six myths about prospecting. Here they are:
1. One and Done
2. I’ll Prospect When I’m Done Taking Care of My Customers
3. It’s Impossible To Have a Dedicated Time to Prospect
4. We’ve Made It This Long Without Having to Prospect
5. If We Provide Great Customer Service We Won’t Have To Prospect
6. Only Born Salespeople Can Prospect
*Summary
There are so many good things in this book. I would say it is a must-read for today’s sales professional.
At the beginning of the book, he clearly makes the case that while communication methods have changed (email, social, instant message, chat…) the real change to which sales reps should pay attention is who has the knowledge. “The evolution of prospecting is not due to the number of communication methods available, but rather to the shift in who has the knowledge.” The knowledge has shifted away from sales reps to prospects.
With this shift in knowledge, Mark agrees with me and Larry Levine, my co-host on the Selling From the Heart Podcast: “[Since] the customer has access to more knowledge, so the only way to counterbalance that is by convincing the customer to have confidence in you.” This confidence begins during the prospecting process. “A prospect who does not have confidence in you is not a prospect.”
This book is practical, full of real-world examples. It also includes frameworks for prospecting fundamentals like emails and call scripts. This is the kind of book a sales professional will want to keep on their desk, dog-eared and with post it notes.
*Focus Your Prospecting Efforts On Ideal Clients
A kindred spirit to the core philosophy of the Revenue Growth Engine, Mark believes in focusing prospecting activity around ideal clients. In the book, he quotes Anthony Iannarino:
“Not all clients are created equal. Neither are all prospects. It’s easy to spend your time with prospects who are receptive, who are willing to meet with you. But the real results you need in sales only come from pursuing your “dream clients,” those prospects for whom you can create breath-taking, jaw-dropping, earth-shattering value.”
A few weeks ago, at the Sales 3.0 conference, I heard Mark talking about the importance of identifying your ideal client profile. I couldn’t agree more. All great prospecting begins with the ideal client.
*Lead With Value Not Price
He believes that the way you start the sales process is the way the process will end. Begin with price, and you’ll get swept to the bottom. “If anything in your sales prospecting strategy is price-oriented, then guess what? You’re naturally going to attract low-value prospects.” Instead, he recommends that you begin with one of two objectives: overcoming a problem or helping them achieve a gain.” In Revenue Growth Engine, the parallel is “outcomes” since buyers don’t buy products, they buy the outcomes the products deliver.
Mark advises: “Don’t overcomplicate things. Keep your focus on the customer’s wants and needs and you’ll avoid having to go down the price trap road.”
*Multi-Channel Prospecting Processes
I often cite the Salesforce.com study that says it takes 6-8 touches to get a viable appointment. Mark agrees. Sales people need to have a plan that includes multiple touches across multiple channels. In the book, he asks a series of excellent questions that can guide a sales rep or team through creating their own prospecting plan that incorporates multiple touches over the phone, email, and social networks.
Mark makes an important correction to many of today’s reps regarding email prospecting. “It’s not that email is a terrible prospecting tool. It’s a fantastic tool when used for the right reasons, and I do use it all the time. Just remember it’s only one of your prospecting tools. Unfortunately because it’s so easy to use, too many salespeople use it too much.”
*Prospecting Must Be The Priority
“Prospecting is not something you do when you don’t have anything else to do. It’s not something you do when you suddenly find yourself without enough customers. Prospecting must be something you do on a regular basis.” Sadly, prospecting has become an “end of the day” priority for many reps and does not get done consistently.
Mark advocates for prospecting to be the first thing a sales rep does each day. He also encourages reps to have discipline: “Motivated people exhibit discipline in what they do and how they do it. With regard to prospecting, that means they have established times to prospect in their day and they do it.”
At the beginning of the book, Mark dispels six myths about prospecting. Here they are:
1. One and Done
2. I’ll Prospect When I’m Done Taking Care of My Customers
3. It’s Impossible To Have a Dedicated Time to Prospect
4. We’ve Made It This Long Without Having to Prospect
5. If We Provide Great Customer Service We Won’t Have To Prospect
6. Only Born Salespeople Can Prospect
*Summary
There are so many good things in this book. I would say it is a must-read for today’s sales professional.
August 25, 2025
A wake-up call for discount-addicted reps, direct, combative, and unapologetically pro-margin.
The content moves like a telenovela of pricing power: deal drama, last-minute concessions, and a situationship between volume and value. The backdrop is the real sales floor where qualification, urgency, and confidence strut like high fashion.
In the foreground appears the love story between value and conviction, two narrators pushing you to defend price by defining outcomes. Pride isn’t the only enemy; weak discovery, thin pipelines, and fear of silence are twists that keep tension high.
It’s straight-shooting with short chapters, rules, and clear examples. I didn’t enjoy the occasional one-size-fits-all tone and wanted deeper cases. Overall, I liked it as a controversial, guilty-pleasure push to “savour” higher standards and stop apologizing for price.
The content moves like a telenovela of pricing power: deal drama, last-minute concessions, and a situationship between volume and value. The backdrop is the real sales floor where qualification, urgency, and confidence strut like high fashion.
In the foreground appears the love story between value and conviction, two narrators pushing you to defend price by defining outcomes. Pride isn’t the only enemy; weak discovery, thin pipelines, and fear of silence are twists that keep tension high.
It’s straight-shooting with short chapters, rules, and clear examples. I didn’t enjoy the occasional one-size-fits-all tone and wanted deeper cases. Overall, I liked it as a controversial, guilty-pleasure push to “savour” higher standards and stop apologizing for price.
November 11, 2017
I like the author’s no bullshit take on how to do sales prospecting, where to spend time and where to avoid time sinks. Essentially, lot more based on traditional sales of cold calling but I don’t know if that works for the specific industry that I am in. Some great ways of understanding and approaching sales from multiple mediums and combining email, social media and calling. Wish he went a little bit deeper into certain aspects of finding leads but his advice was quite good and I guess his advice is if you can provide a company value then they are a lead. Good for an engineer turned sales guy like me.
June 23, 2022
Finished the book “High-Profit Prospecting” by Mark Hunter, AMACOM, 2017, 206 pages from cover to cover.
Hunter reminds sales professionals to adjust and upgrade our mindset, attitude, time management, and sales process. Keep our past customers in contact and our pipelines full with qualified prospects, not suspects, by different means, channels, and platforms.
Good reminders!!
I used a new app to keep track of my reading progress and the index of the book. It takes time but worth it.
Do you update and upgrade yourself on an ongoing basis?
#highprofitprospecting #markhunter #saleseffectiveness #salestraining #prospecting #customerservice #myGoodreads #lifelonglearning
Hunter reminds sales professionals to adjust and upgrade our mindset, attitude, time management, and sales process. Keep our past customers in contact and our pipelines full with qualified prospects, not suspects, by different means, channels, and platforms.
Good reminders!!
I used a new app to keep track of my reading progress and the index of the book. It takes time but worth it.
Do you update and upgrade yourself on an ongoing basis?
#highprofitprospecting #markhunter #saleseffectiveness #salestraining #prospecting #customerservice #myGoodreads #lifelonglearning
July 24, 2021
Solid prospecting framework
Mark has a lot of direct experience in sales and it shows through out the book with his understanding of the process.
As a growing sales professional I learned a lot about mindset and having a plan for prospecting that gets me excited to deploy these strategies. Plus, Mark has a direct style that I find refreshing.
Ultimately, I learned prospecting is a long game. Persistence and consistency is what builds trust over time, which allows for the sales process to unfold.
Great sales is about finding needs and solving problems. Not forcing people to buy.
Mark has a lot of direct experience in sales and it shows through out the book with his understanding of the process.
As a growing sales professional I learned a lot about mindset and having a plan for prospecting that gets me excited to deploy these strategies. Plus, Mark has a direct style that I find refreshing.
Ultimately, I learned prospecting is a long game. Persistence and consistency is what builds trust over time, which allows for the sales process to unfold.
Great sales is about finding needs and solving problems. Not forcing people to buy.
September 30, 2023
It is all prospecting and how to do it correctly. Author provides good information and advices about how to find leads, how to make relationship with them and how to convert them to customers. He explains about different tools and techniques for gathering information about prospects and how to use them to talk and negotiate better with prospects.
I recommend this book to people who are just starting out in sales. It has some information for experienced salespeople but not so much as I thought before. It had no new information or insight for me.
I recommend this book to people who are just starting out in sales. It has some information for experienced salespeople but not so much as I thought before. It had no new information or insight for me.
January 6, 2019
Each page offers tremendous insight to practices a sales professional can easily incorporate into their day to day job requirements. It's a great book that offers more knowledge than I originally anticipated. Look forward to diving more into Mark Hunter's other books and educational tips/tools to become better.
September 3, 2020
Another good book by Mark Hunter, makes it easy to go through prospecting. This book is aimed at both beginners and professionals to help make a prospect list with live prospects. I picked up this book to understand why i would not proceed beyond price stage. This helps me to further question the client.
November 20, 2017
There are some good tips in the book but also a few areas I skimmed. May be completely different for others but some areas I was already familiar with. Definitely a great read for anyone just getting into prospecting.
February 23, 2018
Great content.
Really good content in the book with techniques and advices on prospecting. The one star short of perfect is due to the chapter on social selling and social media with which i totally and completely disagree.
Really good content in the book with techniques and advices on prospecting. The one star short of perfect is due to the chapter on social selling and social media with which i totally and completely disagree.
June 17, 2020
Starts out strong then gets a little slow
Book had some good ideas. If even 1 or 2 ideas help you the book is worth it. I got a couple of ideas. Hard to discuss prospecting because every business is so different and a lot didn’t pertain to me. Overall I am happy to have read.
Book had some good ideas. If even 1 or 2 ideas help you the book is worth it. I got a couple of ideas. Hard to discuss prospecting because every business is so different and a lot didn’t pertain to me. Overall I am happy to have read.
December 24, 2020
Overall seemed primarily focused on motivating people to prospect. The tools and recommendations for prospecting aren't industry-specific so often don't feel particularly applicable. I don't read many business or sales books, but this one really fell flat for me.
January 3, 2022
Great Sales book, is a great complement to the inbound sales strategy promoted by hubspot. Very practical and up to date on how a salesperson should prioritize and strategize their sales process and prospect.
August 29, 2017
Nothing groundbreaking
Nothing groundbreaking, but it does have really good basics that everyone working in sales should know. Great book for beginning a sales career.
Nothing groundbreaking, but it does have really good basics that everyone working in sales should know. Great book for beginning a sales career.
December 1, 2017
Great read of very actionable items and tasks.
June 18, 2018
Fanatical Prospecting is significantly better
October 22, 2018
Practical Applications
I would recommend this book to any sales person. Emphasise more on what I already know, but was just lazy to practice.
I would recommend this book to any sales person. Emphasise more on what I already know, but was just lazy to practice.
March 3, 2019
Listened to the audible version of this and found it very insightful. Working in sales I took a lot away from this well worth the read and keeping to hand as will read again
July 17, 2019
Solid prospecting book. Great discussion on creating a system and a strategy. Also good sober look at use of email and social media. Very relevant to today's sales environment
January 21, 2020
Really good
July 17, 2020
An essential book that can be adapted to any organization and used as a guide to structure modern outbound prospecting strategies
October 22, 2020
I quite enjoyed this, lots of practical ways to make prospecting happen. Most of it wasn't new to me, but its always good to get a refresher.
February 9, 2023
A great book for every salesperson, pretty accurate to these days and easy to read.
December 12, 2024
Some good concepts.
March 19, 2017
I have read lot of sales and marketing books. This is the best prospecting book out there.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews