Now that you have identified “suspects” who could be suitable prospects, the question is: How should you interact with prospects?

You treat them as you would treat your clients, says Sara Gilbert, founder of Strategist Business Development in Montreal. This means convincing prospects that they can put their trust in you and your practice.

Gilbert describes the three steps to engaging with prospects:

1. Focus on a small number of prospects
Of your 200 LinkedIn connections and networking contacts, maybe you have established that 60 of those individuals would be a good fit for your business. Don’t try to pursue all of those prospects at once.

In fact, if you are working with more than 20 prospects at a time, Gilbert says, you won’t have the time to provide those people with the proper experience.

“What you’re doing through your prospecting pipeline,” Gilbert says, “is providing a level of service and experience that they should have when they work with you as an advisor.”

So, start this process with 20 prospects. Once you’ve signed some of those or let some go, begin to engage new candidates.

2. Treat them like top clients
You should be replicating for your prospects the experience you provide for your top-tier clients.

As you get to know your prospects, pay attention to their hobbies, where they socialize and the issues that matter to them. Knowing these details will tell you which events you should invite prospects to, what articles of interest to send them and the topics of conversation to broach.

So, if your prospect enjoys high-end restaurants, invite him or her to the grand opening of a new bistro in your community. You can also ask for his or advice on what you should try next time you go out for dinner.

Be generous, and not only with “treats” like events, says Gilbert, but also with your time. Offer your prospects a second opinion on their investment strategy or to sit down with their accountants to look for possible savings.

“You have to give in order to receive,” she says.

Remember to be consistent. Don’t provide the prospect with a top-grade experience only to do little of the same after you sign that person as a client.

3. Know when to let go
After each interaction, you need to make a decision on whether you want to continue pursuing that person, Gilbert says. You will have to decide on the timeline that works for you, keeping in mind that prospecting can be a lengthy process but that you still have other responsibilities within your practice.

If you find the prospect is not responding to your overtures or has told you directly that he or she will be working with another advisor, it may be time to focus on someone else.

But maybe you’re not willing to forget about a prospect completely. Ask this person if you can contact him or her in six months to catch up. Also, stay connected through your social media networks and newsletter distribution. You never know what interaction could develop in the future.

This is the second installment in a two-part series on prospecting.