Local prospecting is nothing like classic B2B prospecting. Geography becomes your first filter, not company size or revenue.

If you sell a service requiring physical intervention or cover a specific territory, a restaurant 500 kilometers away doesn't interest you. You need nearby clients.

Before starting, avoid the 5 mistakes that sabotage local prospecting. Here's how to succeed in six steps.

1. Create a precise list (area + keyword)

The trap

"All restaurants in France" → 3000 prospects → you give up.

"Gastronomic restaurants Paris 2nd" → 25 prospects → you act.

The network effect

Ten scattered clients everywhere = nobody knows you.

Ten clients in same neighborhood = you become "the" local supplier.

Why it works:

Managers know each other. They talk. They recommend you.

When prospecting your 11th neighborhood restaurant:

"I work with 10 restaurants nearby: Le Bistrot on Montorgueil street, La Brasserie Saint-Denis... You probably know them."

Instant credibility. You're part of the local ecosystem.

Action this week

• Choose 1 precise area (neighborhood, district)
• Choose 1 specific keyword
• Goal: 50-100 prospects max

Examples:

• "CrossFit Lyon 3rd" (not "sport Lyon")
• "Japanese restaurant Marseille 7th" (not "restaurants")
• "Plumber Paris 11th" (not "artisans Île-de-France")

More precise = more qualified.

2. Enrich your data (name + direct contact)

What you need

Vital minimum:

• Decision-maker's name (not "the team")
• Professional email (not contact@)
• Direct mobile
• Verified business registration

Before/after

Before:

• "Yoga Center Nation"
• 75011 Paris
• +33 6 63 10 47 XX

After:

• Jocelyne Galland, owner
• jatifloweryoga@gmail.com
• +33 6 63 10 47 XX
• Active registration since 2016
• Iyengar specialty, no online booking

The difference:

You call Jocelyne directly. You personalize: "I saw you teach Iyengar and don't have online booking..."

No generic spam.

Action

Enrich BEFORE contacting.

Not the reverse. Otherwise you waste 80% of your time finding the right contacts.

3. Qualify in 15 minutes

The method

3 questions:

1. Who are my 3 best clients?
2. What do they have in common?
3. Who will never buy?

Example:

• Best clients: 3-8 employees, 2+ years, Paris area
• Worst prospects: <2 employees, <1 year, >30km

Your criteria are defined.

Action

Filter your list from 100 → 40 ultra-qualified.

Quick scoring:

• Size OK? (+1)
• Seniority OK? (+1)
• Area OK? (+1)
• Visible need? (+1)

3-4 points → contact this week
0-2 points → delete

Work 40 prospects thoroughly rather than 100 superficially.

4. Choose the right channel

By sector

Restaurants
→ Channel: Field, Phone
→ Timing: 3pm-5pm (between services)

Gyms
→ Channel: Phone, Field
→ Timing: 9am-11am

Beauty salons
→ Channel: Phone, Field
→ Timing: 10am-11am

Artisans
→ Channel: Phone
→ Timing: 7am-9am

Retail
→ Channel: Field, Phone
→ Timing: Off-rush hours

Why

Restaurants: Manager on-site. Go directly. NEVER during service (11am-2pm, 7pm-10pm).

Gyms: They answer phones. They DON'T read emails (except franchises).

Beauty salons: Small. Manager is practitioner. Call mornings before clients.

Artisans: They start at 8am. Call 7am-9am before they're on job site.

Multi-channel

Don't test ONE channel and give up.

Sequence:

• Email Tuesday → No response
• Phone Thursday → Voicemail
• Field Friday → 10-min discussion

Three attempts before abandoning.

5. Measure (3 KPIs)

Numbers that matter

KPI 1: Volume
50-100 prospects contacted/week minimum

KPI 2: Response rate

• Phone: 5-10%
• Email: 1-3%
• Field: 40-60%

KPI 3: Cost per client

(Time × Hourly rate + Tools) / Signed clients

Example:
(30h × €50 + €200) / 2 = €850/client

Normal ratios

• 20-30 calls = 1 meeting
• 5-10 meetings = 1 client
• 100-300 prospects = 1 client

If you do worse, optimize your targeting. Not your pitch.

6. Optimize each month

4 questions

1. How many contacted?

• <50 → increase
• 50-150 → OK

200 → qualify better

2. Which channel works?
Field 15% vs Email 1% → double field, cut email.

3. Cost/client?

50% sale price → problem

• <30% sale price → scale

4. What's blocking?

• Response <10% → targeting/data
• Conversion <20% → pitch/offer

What to change

Low response: Refine criteria, enrich better, test other area.

Low conversion: Adapt pitch, ask why they refuse.

Rule: One variable at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to create my local prospect list?

Choose a precise geographic area (neighborhood or district) and a specific keyword. For example: "CrossFit Lyon 3rd" rather than "sport Lyon". Limit yourself to 50-100 prospects to stay actionable and create a network effect in your area.

What data to enrich before prospecting?

The minimum: decision-maker's name, professional email (not contact@), direct mobile, verified business registration. Enrich your entire list at once before starting to contact. Otherwise you waste 80% of your time finding the right contacts.

Which channel works best locally?

It depends on the sector. Field for restaurants and retail, phone for artisans and gyms, morning calls for beauty salons. Always test 2-3 channels (email, phone, field) before abandoning a prospect.

To remember

Six actions:

1. Precise list - Area + keyword (50-100)
2. Enriched data - Decision-maker + contact
3. Qualification - 3-question method
4. Right channel - By sector
5. Measure - Volume, response, cost
6. Optimization - 1 variable/month

This week

Do JUST step 1:

• 1 precise area
• 1 keyword
• List 50-100 prospects

Nothing else.

Next week: step 2.

One step at a time.

To go further: The 5 mistakes that ruin your local prospecting and how to avoid them.

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