"Answering the phone, and taking an order from a person who is reaching out to you is not prospecting…it’s called customer service."

Mark Hunter

We're starting our time off together by throwing a stake in the ground... There are a tremendous number of overpaid babysitters in sales.

When you take an order from someone, you're not engaging in prospecting, you’re providing customer service.

Prospecting is the proactive process of engaging in conversation with new potential clients who have not yet expressed interest in your product or service.

Customer service is about responding to the needs and requests of people who have already connected with you.

Prospecting grows your business by expanding your client base. It requires initiative, strategy, and persistence.

Customer service maintains your business by ensuring existing or incoming clients are satisfied and likely to return.

The issue resides that many in sales feel they've earned their stripes, struggle to comprehend prospecting, complain when they lose a client, all while pointing the finger somewhere else.

Sales professionals are not overpaid babysitters.

Hear me out this, both roles are vital, but they require different mindsets and skill sets.

Recognizing the difference helps you allocate your time and resources effectively for both growth and retention.

The moment you stop prospecting is the moment you start declining.

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

If you're in sales and think you're too seasoned, successful, or well-networked to prospect, consider this your wake-up call.

If you’ve stopped prospecting because you believe your reputation precedes you, you’re not building a pipeline, you’re riding one that’s slowly drying up.

Whether you're brand-new or a 25-year veteran, the lifeblood of your sales career is deeply rooted in consistent, proactive outreach.

There are way too many of you in sales who fall into the trap of believing that once you've "made it," (however you choose to define it) you can then rely solely on referrals, renewals, or your so-called relationships.

This mindset is not only misguided, but also 100% dangerous.

In our time together, I will pull no punches. I'm going to lay out three undeniable reasons why you must prospect, what to do about it, and how to put it into action immediately.

Comfort is the enemy of growth, and entitlement is the gateway to irrelevance.

You see, markets shift. Clients move on and competitors evolve. The moment you stop actively pursuing new opportunities is the moment you start falling behind.

Prospecting isn’t a sign that you’re desperate; it’s proof that you’re a professional committed to sustained success. No matter how full your calendar looks today, tomorrow's success depends on the seeds you plant now.

Don’t wait for opportunity, go out and find it. Every call you make, every door you pull, every connection you pursue is a stake in the future you’re building.

Buckle up, this ride may get a but bumpy.

Reason #1: Your Pipeline is a Leaky Bucket

"Your ability to prospect effectively will determine your success in sales."

Tom Hopkins

Your pipeline isn't a savings account; it's a leaky bucket. Opportunities fall out. Budgets vanish. Priorities shift. And yet, far too many tenured reps treat their pipeline like it's set in stone. It's not.

Every sale you make brings you one step closer to needing the next one. Your future revenue depends on what you do today.

What does this all mean? You must fill the top of the funnel with intentional prospecting, every single week. Without it, you're playing a dangerous game of catch-up.

Think of prospecting as preventive maintenance, not a reaction to a dry spell, but a habit that keeps sales momentum alive. Sales professionals don’t wait for gaps to appear; they anticipate them and stay ahead by consistently generating new opportunities before the need becomes urgent.

What to Do About It:

• Audit your pipeline monthly. Identify where deals are at risk and where the gaps are.

• Set a weekly new prospecting goal. Measure and monitor new conversations, not just emails sent.

• Block non-negotiable time on your calendar to prospect like your quota depends on it. Because guess what? It does?

Your tenure in sales doesn't entitle you to pipeline. You still must prospect every day, with purpose and sincerity.

Reason #2: The Market Doesn’t Care How Long You’ve Been Around

Don’t hide behind your past success. Prospecting is a present-tense activity.

You may have decades of experience, tons of so-called clients, and a LinkedIn profile filled with glowing endorsements, but none of that guarantees future business. The market is fickle. Buyers change jobs. Decision-makers retire. Industries evolve.

What worked last year may be irrelevant tomorrow. The way it was, is not the way it will be.

Veteran salespeople who think they're above prospecting are operating with a false sense of security. The truth? Staying relevant requires constant evolution, visibility, and outreach.

Prospecting isn’t beneath you, it’s what keeps you in the game. Your clients well let's just be real, they’re your competitions target now.

The relationships you built over a decade ago. They may not hold weight in a world driven by digital interaction, shifting priorities, and heightened buyer expectations.

Complacency is the silent killer of sales careers. Let that sink in for a moment. Experience is valuable but only when it’s paired with action. It’s not about resting on your laurels; it’s about showing up with the same hunger you had on day one.

Relevance is earned daily.

If you're not actively seeking out new conversations, building fresh relationships, and staying top-of-mind, you're fading into the background, regardless of how many plaques are on your wall.

Your legacy isn’t built by what you did. It’s built by what you continue to do.

What to Do About It:

• Reintroduce yourself to your network every 3-6 months. Don't assume they remember what you do.

• Learn your industry’s shifts and talk about them with prospects. Become a relevant voice, not a relic.

• Don’t just rely on the old faithful relationships. You know, the two or three people you know in your client base. Expand the relationships inside your client base weekly.

Reason #3: Prospecting is Your Competitive Edge

When you stop learning, you stop earning. When you stop prospecting, you start fading.

In a world of automation, AI, and inbound marketing, human connection is your secret weapon. Real, authentic prospecting is becoming rare, which means it’s also more valuable than ever.

Prospecting forces you to sharpen your skills: listening, storytelling, objection handling. It keeps your language fresh, your perspective tuned, and your confidence high.

Those salespeople who keep prospecting at the forefront are the ones who stay sharp, stay booked, and stay winning.

Prospecting isn’t just a means to an end, it’s a craft. It forces you to sharpen core sales skills that no algorithm can replicate. Things such as active listening, storytelling that connects, empathy driven objection handling.

Prospecting pushes you to understand your buyer's world more deeply, to communicate with clarity, and to deliver value before the sale happens.

Prospecting keeps your language fresh, your perspective aligned with the market, and your confidence grounded in real, earned momentum. Those salespeople who prospect consistently don’t just fill their calendars, they develop a mindset of growth, resilience, and ownership.

Sales professionals know that prospecting is not a task to be automated away. It’s a discipline to be embraced.

What to Do About It:

• Prospecting isn’t just about cold calls. Send value-packed videos, voice notes, or LinkedIn messages.

• Refine or redefine your talk track monthly. What worked in January might flop in May.

• Practice role-playing with someone on your team. Keep your prospecting muscle memory strong.

Check out Selling in a Post-Trust World in audio, click on the image above.

Busting the Excuses

Let’s call out the excuses and squash them:

"I don’t have time." You have time to binge Netflix, scroll Instagram, or attend your fifth internal meeting this week. You have time to prospect. Prioritize it.

"I have plenty of deals already." Today’s abundance is tomorrow’s drought. The moment you feel comfortable is the exact moment you should double down.

"I get all my leads from referrals." That's great, until it isn't. Referrals are a result, not a strategy. Build a pipeline you control.

"I'm not good at it." Nobody is born a world-class prospector. It's a skill. Skills are developed through repetition.

“I’ve been doing this long enough, I shouldn’t have to prospect.”And yet, here we are. If your past deals paid rent, you wouldn’t need a pipeline. Experience is a strength, not a substitute. Legends don’t coast, they keep hunting while others nap on their résumés.

“I was just about to start… right after this coffee.”And after you reorganize your desk, check LinkedIn for the fifth time, and stare blankly at your screen. Spoiler alert, there’s no magic in your mug. The only caffeine your pipeline needs is action.

How to Make Prospecting a Lifestyle

"Discipline equals freedom."

Jocko Willink

Turning prospecting into a consistent, high-performing habit requires structure and intention.

Here’s how to embed it into your DNA:

1. Calendar Discipline

• Schedule prospecting as the most important meeting of your day.

• Treat it like a client meeting. This means no reschedules, no distractions.

• Use time blocks. 60 minutes max with short breaks in between.

2. Daily Metrics

• Track how many quality conversations you have, not just dials or emails.

• Review weekly. What’s working, what’s not, and why.

• Celebrate the activity, not just the results. Inputs create outputs.

3. Accountability Partners

• Find a prospecting partner. Check in weekly. Challenge each other.

• Share wins, struggles, and what's working.

• Make it fun. Gamify it. Set rewards.

My Parting Shots, I Mean Words

Your experience doesn’t exempt you from prospecting, it obligates you to do it better.

Prospecting isn't just a task on your to-do list. It's a reflection of your commitment to your craft, your company, and your own growth.

When you choose not to prospect, you're essentially saying, "I'm okay becoming obsolete."

It’s not about desperation; it’s about dedication.

From veterans to newbies, the rules are the same. If you want a sustainable, thriving career in sales, you prospect. No one gets a pass.

Are you ready to recommit?

If so, then it's time you put this all into action:

Block out time this week - Open your calendar right now and create three 60-minute prospecting blocks during the week.

Build your list - Identify 20 high-value prospects. Use LinkedIn, your CRM, or past contacts.

Record a 60 second value statement - Practice it. Make it about your prospects, not you.

Send 5 personalized videos - Use Loom, Vidyard, or BombBomb to cut through the noise.

Find your accountability partner - Text a teammate. Set up a weekly 15-minute debrief call.

Prospecting isn't punishment, it's the path.

Make the choice today. Prospect like your career depends on it. Because it does.

Originally published on Larry Levine's LinkedIn.