Cold Calling

You Won’t Believe What Sales Pros Are Doing!
By Leslie Buterin
www.ColdCallingExecutives.com

Many sales trainers and consultants think “cold calling is on life support, and they'd be happy to pull the plug.” But smart sales professionals are succeeding with cold calling in spite of that point of view.

Behind closed doors and in honest moments, sales trainers and consultants confess they don’t encourage, teach, or espouse cold calling for one very important reason.

They know nothing about cold calling

They are ready to pull the plug on this important tactic because of their failing, no one else’s. They have not:

1. Worked through obstacles that present themselves during cold calls
2. Acknowledged that sellers have the ability (and dare I say power) to figure out what makes cold calls work
3. Figured out how to take the “cold” out of calling.

It is as simple and complex as that.

If you sell you have to talk with people. If you aren’t cold calling; odds are you’re “reaching prospects” via direct mail which is a costly albeit lucrative marketing method with a steep learning curve. Most likely your direct mail pieces encourage the prospect to make a phone call to a “telemarketing center” where the low paid “operator” follows a script that pre-screens and qualifies the prospect; then, forwards the “qualified lead” to the sellers.

Three major problems with this approach:

1. A third party puts unnecessary distance is put between the seller and the prospect.
2. The good news is there is a buffer between the sales pro and mean callers. The bad news is subtleties of language and changes in the market as stated by the prospects most likely will be lost on the “operator” whereas, a sales pro would recognize them as significant.
3.  The top direct response mail marketers will tell you “a pre-approach letter” is a sales presentation in writing. That being the case why not go the less expensive, more direct, much faster route that you are already good at? Use cold calls (sales presentations over the phone) to connect with prospects in 90-seconds or less of phone time.

The majority of professionals who sell products and services are looking for 20-25 new clients each year, that’s new business that is not already on the books. If this is you, do what your successful colleagues do. Pick up the phone!

*****

Forward this article to friends. They will thank you for it!

For your mini-course “Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents” visit www.ColdCallingExecutives.com or call New Business Development Coach, Leslie Buterin (like butterin’ bread) at (816) 554-3674 9-3 CST (that’s Kansas City/Chicago Time)

(c) 2008 Leslie Buterin. All Rights Reserved.

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