Thursday, December 28, 2006
Seven Steps to Cold Calling Follow-up
Seven Steps to Cold Calling Follow-up
by Ari Galper, Founder of Unlock The Game®
Let’s say you’ve had a great conversation with a prospect. They’ve shared their problems and seem genuinely interested in what you are offering. You’re excited about following up with them – but your calls aren’t returned. What’s happening?
Well, the only way to find out the truth of the situation is to ask them. However, before you do, let’s stop and consider some important points. You must approach this in a way that invites trust and diffuses the barriers to comfortable communication.
Here are seven important steps to follow:
1. Don't assume the sale.
Prospects are used to the traditional buyer-seller relationship. They assume you’ll pressure them. Therefore, they may decide not to tell you things that make them vulnerable to pressure. Until you’re sure you know the complete truth, you can never assume the sale is yours.
2. Keep making it easy for potential clients to tell you their truth.
Toward the end of your conversation, ask, “Do you have any more questions?” If the answer is no, follow up with the 100% final truth gathering question: “Now, are you 100% sure that there’s nothing else that I can do on my end to make you feel more comfortable with this situation?”
You’ll be amazed how often people will reply, “Well, actually, there’s one more issue...” It’s at this point that you really start to hear their truth.
3. Call back to get the truth, not close the sale.
Most potential clients who suddenly disappear expect you to chase them down. They expect you to call and say, “Hi, I was just wondering where things are at?”
Instead, eliminate all sales pressure by telling them you’re okay with their decision not to move forward, based on their not having called you back. In other words, take a step backward. Most of the time, this will open the door to a new level of trust-filled communication.
4. Reassure them that you can handle a “no.”
Of course, we’d rather hear a yes. However, the only way to free yourself and your clients from subtle sales pressure is to let them know that it’s not about the sale – it’s about the best choice for them. If that means no sale, it’s okay with you.
5. Ask for feedback.
Whenever prospects disappear, call them back (e-mail only as a last resort because dialogue is always better). Simply ask, “Would you please share your feedback with me as to how I can improve for next time? I’m committed to understanding where I went wrong.”
This is not being feeble or weak. It’s being humble. This invites the truth.
6. Don't try to “close” a sale.
If your intuition tells you that the sales process isn’t going in the direction it should be going (which is always toward greater trust and truth), then trust those feelings.
Make it safe for prospects to tell you where they stand. It’s simple. All you have to say is, “Where do you think we should go from here?” But be prepared because you might not want to hear the truth of how they’re feeling. You can cope with this by keeping your larger goal in mind, which is always to establish that the two of you have a “fit.”
7. Give yourself the last word.
Eliminate the anxiety of waiting for the final call that will tell you whether the sale is going to happen. Instead, schedule a time for getting back to each other during your conversation. This eliminates chasing. Simply suggest, “Can we plan to get back to each other on a day and at a time that works for you? Not to close the sale, but simply to bring closure, regardless of what you decide. I’m okay either way, and that’ll save us from having to chase each other.”
You'll find that these suggestions make selling much less painful because you stay focused on the truth instead of the sale. The truth is, the more we release the idea of needing to make the sale, the more sales we will likely see.
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his free cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don't know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Spectacular Structure for a Cold Calling Script
Spectacular Structure for a Cold Calling Script
By Leslie Buterin
There are so many wimpy cold calling scripts out there that if your try them all they’ll make your head spin.
You’ll find some scripts tell you to introduce yourself and bond before you get to the point ... as though you’ll build a lasting relationship within a few seconds on the phone.
Other scripts direct you to tell prospect all about the company… as though your company’s history that will justify the fact that your call that has interrupted the prospect’s day.
Some scripts even start out with the unconvincing words “This is not a sales call…” Yeah, right. Who do they think they’re kidding!
By the same token you and I both know that the power of any sales presentation is in the words.
Face-to-face you have all sorts of visual cues that let you know whether or not you and your prospect are strolling down the primrose path … together.
In the blink of an eye you pick up cues such as a prospect’s crossed arms, broken eye contact, and other body language that let you know when your words have taken the two of you off the profitable path. With these cues you quickly figure out how to get back on track and can easily adjust your sales presentation accordingly.
On the phone, however, your cues come from background sounds, tone of voice, pacing, and the words themselves.
To stay on course self-control is key.
Say too much and you’ll hear, “If he’s interested he’ll call you” and wonder, “What happened?” Say too little and the gatekeeper will ask questions, to keep you talking, find out what she thinks she needs to know, and then gets off of the phone.
Since sales professionals have a gift for gab and thrive on social interaction, we are most comfortable talking with people face-to-face. We prefer to be around people and usually dread cold calling on the telephone. When we do our cold call prospecting, it is easy for us to talk too fast; too spew out way too many words for the prospect to grasp on the phone; and to relinquish self-control altogether. We experience failure … not our favorite lesson … and quickly build an aversion to making cold calls.
Successful sales professionals turn aversion to attraction by using scripts that are in essence a sophisticated sales presentation. Scripts that are stripped down to the essential words; not too many, and not too few words that “make the sale” in their 90-seconds of time on the phone with an executive or executive assistant.
Yes! A script can be that good and yield results of 6-8 appointments out of every 10 calls.
How do you come up with a script that’s so good? First, you must craft a script so that it contains each of the components of an effective face-to-face sales presentation. Then you must streamline the script for successful transition to the telephone.
A spectacular structure for a cold calling script is this:
1. Use the prospect’s name, in the form of a question as you opening line.
2. Identify yourself
3. State the purpose of your call
4. Build a benefit statement that tells your prospect precisely what he/she will get out of meeting with you—in terms of bottom line numbers.
5. Maintain self-control by knowing what you want out of the call and asking the questions you need to ask to get there.
Here’s and example of such a script:
“Mary?”
“This is Leslie. I’m calling from ColdCallingExecutives.com to see whether or not I can double John’s revenues in 90 days or less.”
“When’s the best time for him to meet, this week or next?”
“I appreciate you. Thank you.”
Even the best cold callers are struck by how much effort it takes to relax during cold calls to executives; how few words actually need to spoken during a structured sales call, and the power of a carefully crafted sales call.
You’ve heard the phrase “KISS … Keep It Simple, Stupid!” You can modify that a bit to help you with your own spectacular script for successful cold call prospecting. KISS… Keep It Simple and Structured. Then, enjoy your success as your new simply, spectacular cold calling strategy pays off!
Forward this article to friends—they’ll thank you for it!
For your FREE mini-course “Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents” visit http://www.ColdCallingExecutives.com! Or call Your Sales Coach for Extreme Profitability, author/speaker Leslie Buterin (like butterin’ bread) at (816) 554-3674 9-3 CST (that’s Kansas City/Chicago Time).
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leslie_Buterin
How to Make Cold Calling Opportunities Out of Voice Mails
How to Make Cold Calling Opportunities Out of Voice Mails
By Ari Galper
Turn voice mails into a cold calling journey of discovery!
Most people who still use the traditional cold calling mindset look at voicemail as a dead end. They say to themselves, “Oh well, I may as well leave a message and hope he calls me back.”
This almost never happens, and we know it. But we’re often so relieved not to have to talk with someone, that we leave a message anyway. We avoid dealing with another person’s potential negative response to us and we avoid being challenged by the receptionist as well.
By the time the day is over, we might feel good because we’ve played the “numbers game” and made a lot of calls. But our productivity has been minimal. And over time that can make us feel frustrated by our experiences in cold calling.
With the new approach to cold calling, voicemail is an opportunity for discovery. It leads us beyond voicemail. Voice mail becomes a starting point for you begin the process of locating the person you’re trying to contact.
Our objective is not to pursue people to make a sale in this new way of cold calling. It is to uncover the truth of their situation and to be okay with the outcome, whether it’s a “yes” or a “no.”
So we can begin to feel more comfortable hitting “0” when we get someone’s voicemail. Because we then have an opportunity to go back to the receptionist and begin a dialogue based on asking for help.
Here’s how the dialogue might go:
“Hi, maybe you can help me out for a second? I’m trying to get hold of Mike and I got his voicemail. Would you happen to know if he’s at lunch, or on vacation, or in a meeting by any chance?”
Here, you aren’t just asking to find Mike. And you’re also providing possible solutions to finding Mike. This helps the receptionist feel as if he or she is part of the problem-solving process.
The receptionist is likely to offer one of two responses. The first is, “Yes, he’s in a meeting (or at lunch or on vacation) and I’m not sure when he’ll be back at his desk.”
This answer has just given you a lot more information than you would have if you had just left a voicemail. Now you know your contact’s whereabouts in real time and you can call back at a more appropriate time.
The second response is, “No, I don’t know where he is.” In this case, you would reply, “That’s not a problem…” This low-key statement diffuses any possible pressure that the receptionist might be feeling about not being able to answer your question.
You can then continue with, “Would you happen to know anyone whose desk or office is near him or who works in his area who might know where he is?” Again, you’re offering another option for solving the problem. In many cases, the receptionist will then transfer you to a colleague of your contact who can help you determine his or her whereabouts.
The receptionist may also reply, “No, I don’t know anyone in his area.” You then say, “That’s not a problem…” and offer, “Would you happen to have a paging system or his cell phone number by any chance?”
If the receptionist replies, “Sorry, we don’t have those,” then at that point you can say, “Thank you very much. I really appreciate your help. And then hang up, and call back another time.
Does the idea of paging potential clients or calling them on their cell phone make your stomach clench up? Are you thinking that you can’t cold call people that way because they might reject you?
That fear is only to be expected if your agenda is to sell something to the person. In other words, if you’re still using the traditional sales mindset. But once you master the new cold calling perspective, you’ll feel comfortable calling anyone, any time, using any mode.
As long as you’re 100 percent focused on your potential client’s world, you’ll find that people will be receptive to you. You can easily navigate throughout an organization with the type of dialogue described above, because you’re asking for help in a relaxed manner and you never put anyone on the spot.
Suppose that your efforts to locate your contact in this way fail. At that point you can leave a voicemail, but it should always be your very last option. Here’s an example of an appropriate cold calling voicemail:
“Hi John, maybe you can help me out for a second? I’m not sure if you’re the right person or not, but I’m trying to reach the person responsible for reporting problems about unpaid invoices. My name is John Edwards, my number is…”
Try this way of approaching the situation of voice mails, and you’ll be surprised and pleased at how often it becomes a highway instead of a dead end.
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don't know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.Unlock-The-Cold-Calling-Game.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ari_Galper
How to End the Cold Calling Game of Chasing a Sale
How to End the Cold Calling Game of Chasing a Sale
By Ari Galper
4 steps to warm up cold calling conversations
Our thoughts are always at the basis of our behaviors. If our thoughts are fixed on the goal of making a sale, then we’re not really being forthright. We’re not focused on the conversation or the truth of a situation. We’re chasing people -- or at least chasing the sale.
Here are 4 important steps to help end the “chasing game” in our cold calling efforts.
1. Avoid reading from a script
Life is not a script, nor are normal conversations. When we read from a script, we’re not being natural. We’re playing a role. And that means we’re chasing a sale rather than enjoying an opportunity to meet someone new and find out if we can help them. Allowing a conversation to naturally flow helps you enter into a dialogue based on trust, which lets your potential client’s real issues emerge. Formal scripts, on the other hand, don’t give you the freedom to take conversations in the direction they may naturally want to go. And this feels stilted and awkward.
If you begin to view your cold calls as conversations or dialogues, you’ll find it easy to let go of the idea of scripts. And you’ll sense the shift of the energy in your conversation when the emphasis of the call is about the person you’re talking with and not about your making a sale.
So generate a spontaneous conversation, based on the problems you can help the other person solve. This will diffuse your feelings of being awkward and artificial, and allow you to enjoy the journey.
2. Address a Core Problem
People connect with you when they feel you understand their issues before you focus on yourself and your solutions. Come up with two or three specific problems that your product or service solves. And talk about it with the potential client first, before offering your sales pitch. When you offer your presentation or solution without first involving the other person by talking about a core problem they might be having, you are focused on the sale rather than the conversation. And your whole energy tends to drive the interaction into a sales mode. Remember, whenever someone feels “chased,” they usually run.
So stop for a moment. Convey that you’re a problem solver. Invite a mutual exchange of information that explores whether there’s a possibility that the two of you might work together. Help them understand that your thoughts and goals are not focused on selling them anything at all.
Most people will welcome your interest in their problem as long as you’re not operating out of the hidden agenda of making a sale. So overcome the temptation to discuss what you have to offer and move into focusing on your caller’s world. Invite discussion, express interest, and stop chasing the sale.
3. Uncover the Truth of the Situation
Make your objective to uncover the truth of the potential client’s situation and to be okay with the outcome, whether it’s a yes or a no. We can do this by checking in at various times in the conversation to make sure it makes sense to continue the dialogue. If we just move ahead without doing this, we’re in “chase mode.” And in this case, we may be chasing something very unrealistic for this particular potential client. So we ask important questions such as, “Is this a top priority for you to solve right now?” We may find that the potential client is very interested in working with us, but the budget or staffing may simply be too thin at this time. We stop at various checkpoints in our conversation to make sure we’re moving ahead together. If our thoughts are fixed only on our own goal of eventually securing the sale, we can miss very important signals that the other person may actually have no intention of following through.
4. Where do We Go From Here?
Here’s something very surprising. Allow the conversation to end without chasing other person into an sales appointment or commitment, and the other person will often be the one who initiates further contact. So when you feel as if the conversation is coming to a natural conclusion, you can simply say, “Well, where do you think we should go from here?” This question reassures potential clients that you’re not using the conversation to fulfill your own hidden agenda. It invites the other person to take charge of where things are going, and all you need do is follow along.
When you stop chasing the sale, you’ll be truly surprised at how often the sale gently awaits you within a friendly conversation focusing on the needs of others.
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don't know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.Unlock-The-Cold-Calling-Game.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ari_Galper
Cold Calling: Spectacular Structure for a Script
Cold Calling: Spectacular Structure for a Script
By Leslie Buterin
There are so many wimpy cold calling scripts out there that if your try them all, they’ll make your head spin.
You’ll find some scripts tell you to introduce yourself and bond before you get to the point, as though you’ll build a lasting relationship within a few seconds on the phone.
Other scripts direct you to tell prospect all about the company, as though your company’s history will justify the fact that your call that has interrupted the prospect’s day.
Some scripts even start out with the unconvincing words “This is not a sales call…” Yeah, right. Who do they think they’re kidding!
By the same token, you and I both know that the power of any sales presentation is in the words.
Face-to-face you have all sorts of visual cues that let you know whether or not you and your prospect are strolling down the primrose path, together.
In the blink of an eye you pick up cues such as a prospect’s crossed arms, broken eye contact, and other body language that lets you know when your words have taken the two of you off the profitable path. With these cues, you quickly figure out how to get back on track and can easily adjust your sales presentation accordingly.
On the phone, however, your cues come from background sounds, tone of voice, pacing, and the words themselves.
To stay on course self-control is key.
Say too much and you’ll hear, “If he’s interested he’ll call you” and wonder, “What happened?” Say too little and the gatekeeper will ask questions, to keep you talking, find out what she thinks she needs to know, and then get you off the phone.
Since sales professionals have a gift for gab and thrive on social interaction, we are most comfortable talking with people face-to-face. We prefer to be around people and usually dread cold calling on the telephone. When we do our cold call prospecting, it is easy for us to talk too fast; too spew out way too many words for the prospect to grasp on the phone, and to relinquish self-control altogether. We experience failure, not our favorite lesson, and quickly build an aversion to making cold calls.
Successful sales professionals turn aversion to attraction by using scripts that are, in essence, a sophisticated sales presentation. Scripts that are stripped down to the essential words, not too many and not too few words that “make the sale” in their 90-seconds of time on the phone with an executive or executive assistant.
Yes! A script can be that good and yield results of 6-8 appointments out of every 10 calls.
How do you come up with a script that’s so good? First, you must craft a script so that it contains each of the components of an effective face-to-face sales presentation. Then you must streamline the script for successful transition to the telephone.
A spectacular structure for a cold calling script is this:
1. Use the prospect’s name, in the form of a question, as your opening line. 2. Identify yourself 3. State the purpose of your call 4. Build a benefit statement that tells your prospect precisely what he/she will get out of meeting with you—in terms of bottom line numbers. 5. Maintain self-control by knowing what you want out of the call and asking the questions you need to ask to get there.
Here’s an example of such a script:
“Mary?” “This is Leslie.” “I’m calling from ColdCallingExecutives.com to see whether or not I can double John’s revenues in 90 days or less.” “When’s the best time for him to meet, this week or next?” “I appreciate you. Thank you.”
Even the best cold callers are struck by how much effort it takes to relax during cold calls to executives, how few words actually need to be spoken during a structured sales call, and the power of a carefully crafted sales call.
You’ve heard the phrase “KISS … Keep It Simple, Stupid!” You can modify that a bit to help you with your own spectacular script for successful cold call prospecting. KISS… Keep It Simple and Structured. Then, enjoy your success as your new, simply spectacular cold calling strategy pays off!
Forward this article to friends—they’ll thank you for it!
Copyright 2006 Top Dog Consulting
Author/Publisher Leslie Buterin (like butterin’ bread), is a published author, speaker and founder of Top Dog Consulting. She coaches sales executives and recruiters world-wide in techniques for changing the point of entry to the executive level. For your FREE mini-course “Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents” visit http://www.ColdCallingExecutives.com!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leslie_Buterin
How to Cold Call Without a Pitch
How to Cold Call Without a Pitch
By Ari Galper
In the old way of making cold calls, we offer a sales pitch to a perfect stranger, cross our fingers, and hope for the best... isn’t that right?
This really doesn’t work very well in building a business relationship (or any other relationship, for that matter). This is done best by stepping into the world of the other person and finding a problem we can solve for him or her.
That’s how we begin a conversation with another person – talking about them rather than talking about ourselves. It’s just a very common dynamic that occurs in any human interaction. When you’re dating somebody, for instance, if you just talk about yourself, they’re not going to like you very much, right?
It’s the same in cold calling. Don’t talk about your solution for a while. Talk instead about their problems for a bit. It’s a movement of dialogue. This dialogue is around talking about their world and not about your product. That’s the shift. All you have to do is identify three or four major problems that your product solves, and use those problems as phrases to begin the dialogue of your cold call.
You see, this new cold calling approach has to be tied to a specific, real problem that the person experiences in their world. This is needed in order for them to feel comfortable having a conversation with you. When you’re relevant to them and their world, they trust you. They sense that you’re there to help them solve a problem – not sell a product.
So remove yourself for a moment from what you have to sell, and think about what problem your solution solves for somebody. For example, if you’re in the coaching industry, think about what problem you’re solving for your clients. You might say, “I’m just calling to see if your company’s open to the idea of using coaches to improve management performance.”
When you use the word “open,” people respond positively. Who would say “no” to being open? You’re not challenging them. You’re not forcing a solution. You’re not even saying what you’re offering to sell. You’re simply asking a question around whether they have a particular problem.
This also invites a question back to you. Potential clients will often ask at this point who you are and what you do. They might say that they already have a service, but they may need some more help. So it opens up even more conversation.
Here’s an example of how salespeople focus their cold calling around something that appears to be a need, but they haven’t tied it to a specific problem.
Let’s look at financial services. In this case, people who sell financial services start cold calls with a focus on the future of the person’s situation. They might say, “I’m just calling to see if you’d be open to some new ideas to help you increase your income.” The better approach here would be to problem solve. For example, “I’m just calling to see if you’d be open to identifying any gaps in your portfolio that might be holding you back in some way.” It’s about problem solving and closing gaps, as opposed to promoting a beautiful future. “Hire me and I’ll make you a lot of money!” Everyone does that. That’s the problem. It gets old and very stale
You see, there’s no push here. There’s no sales pitch. There’s no presentation. The conversation is focused on really seeing if the person has a problem, and if they want to solve it. After the first few phrases, you have a natural conversation back and forth. They may say, “What’s your service?” “How much does it cost?” And that’s the time to begin to really tell about your service -- but not before that.
If you don’t talk about your solution for a while and instead talk about their problems, you’ll find yourself having better and deeper dialogue, with more trust.
So be careful not to immediately go into a presentation and spend the conversation talking about your service. In this new way of cold calling, you’re asking in a very conversational tone whether the other person has a problem that you can solve.
You won’t believe how this simple technique can make such a difference in the way potential clients receive your cold calls. Tension and resistance are vastly reduced, and results are greatly improved.
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don't know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.Unlock-The-Cold-Calling-Game.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ari_Galper
How to Cold Call with Integrity
How to Cold Call with Integrity
By Ari Galper
You probably never tell potential clients your real goal in calling them, but you don’t need to. They’re already aware, because we’re all sensitive when the phone rings and it turns out to be someone we don’t know.
In the old traditional training, we learned the latest techniques for making a sale. We talk to “prospects” rather than with people. And we “guide” conversations along rather than letting them unfold naturally.
The way we do this sometimes might even be called a bit manipulative. After all, we’re relating to another person while holding an ulterior motive of making a sale.
Where does honesty and integrity fit into this scenario? Well, most of us honestly believe in our product or service. But beyond that, we carry a somewhat artificial persona when we’re cold calling. We talk with people for the primary purpose of making a sale, and we’re not really interested in them or their world.
Doesn’t this make you feel uneasy at times? It does to me.
So let’s discuss some ways we’ve been trained in the traditional sales mindset that feel artificial and dehumanizing, and ways we can overcome them.
1. We intrude upon another person uninvited, with the goal of making a sale. It’s against our nature as human beings to create uncomfortable situations. We have a natural instinct for courtesy and connection It’s usually hard for us as regular people to call uninvited, because on some level it feels discourteous. We can change that by changing our goal. What if our goal is not to make the sale, but to find out if we can help someone? This shift makes us more relaxed. And it keeps us in harmony with personal integrity.
2. We project ourselves as personable and friendly, while also holding an ulterior motive for securing a sale. There’s an inner conflict with integrity when we find ourselves using our connections with others for self-gain. So we can bring ourselves back into honesty and truthfulness by shedding ulterior motives entirely.
We do this by focusing on whether we can provide something that will benefit another person. We find out if they have a problem we may be able to solve. And if it turns out we can’t help with our product or service, we graciously accept the outcome. By being honest and not playing a role, we find ourselves really liking what we do. And when our “ulterior motives” are simply non-existent, people are more open to trusting us.
3. When we meet someone new, we immediately talk about ourselves and what we have to offer. It’s actually not normal for us to start an interaction by launching into a self-focused monologue. As regular people, this just goes against our grain. Common courtesy dictates that initial conversations be dialogues, not monologues.
In normal conversations we would feel self-absorbed if we primarily talked about ourselves and what we have to offer. Yet in the traditional cold calling situation, it’s an accepted “norm.” We’ve been trained to read a script, follow a strategy, or give a sales pitch.
This really isn’t the way we’d like to relate to people, but it’s the way we’ve been taught. We can break out of this artificial game of sorts by just being ourselves. Integrity and truthfulness means being authentic. We begin cold calling conversations with a natural focus on the other person. We find out their needs, and respond with genuine interest.
4. We “rev up” in an artificial way, hoping to carry the potential client along with us into a sales process. When we “pump ourselves up” with enthusiasm, it feels somewhat fake. It’s not our normal way of being, and it throws us out of integrity. And we also appear artificial to potential clients. They become wary of possibly being maneuvered into a sales situation.
If we can navigate a cold calling conversation without such games, people will sense we’re trustworthy. They react warmly and unhesitatingly to a conversation that feels natural to them, and especially if it revolves around their issues rather than our agenda.
So how do we approach cold calling in the most truthful way? We stop being “salespeople” and become human. We engage in an honest dialogue rather than a monologue. We look for ways to help others, and we’re comfortable knowing that our product or service may not be an honest “fit” for them right now. And we stop playing roles, especially the “high enthusiasm” game.
This is what I mean by bringing integrity back into selling. It’s unbelievable just how rewarding both personally and professionally this can be.
Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Cold Calling Game, makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets even the sales gurus don't know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.Unlock-The-Cold-Calling-Game.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ari_Galper
Off-Target Marketing - The Anti-Cold-Call For B2B Salespeople
Off-Target Marketing - The Anti-Cold-Call For B2B Salespeople
By Tino Buntic
Wanna sell a car to a man? Try getting through to him via his wife!
This is the general theme of Rick Spence's idea for off-target marketing. If you're a salesperson, don't aim for the target; aim beside the target.
Rick Spence is a writer for Profit Magazine and in his latest article he describes an idea for B2B selling wherein you don't cold call your prospect. Rather, you use Seth Godin's mantra of permission marketing and take it to a different level.
Corporate executive decision makers don't want to be bothered by cold callers. So, Rick's strategy is to get prospects to agree to meet with you by first being referred to them by, for example, the prospect's secretary. Cold calling an executive is difficult because you need to go through the various gatekeepers and their guards are constantly up. But cold calling the secretary should be quite easier. Nobody expects that. In fact, I think a secretary wouldn’t mind such a call; it could make him feel important.
Once getting through to the secretary, or whoever it is that you speak to, the trick is to get your marketing material in friend of the prospect via a referral from her. That way, you get the referral, and the prospect gets your marketing material in his hands before you ask for a meeting – all without a single cold call to the prospect.
You seek referrals from other points of contact within the company of the prospect that you target. That's why Rick Spence calls it "off-target marketing." I like to call it "the anti-cold-call." It's a selling technique and it' different. I like it!
Tino Buntic would like to thank Rick Spence for writing about great business ideas, including off-target marketing. Tino also invites you to visit Trade Pals. Create a TradePals profile to receive free sales leads without cold calling or prospecting.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tino_Buntic
vCold Calling 101: How To Get More Sales Reps To Cold Call You
Cold Calling 101: How To Get More Sales Reps To Cold Call You
By Tino Buntic
Busy business executives like yourself don’t have time to pick up the phone book or yellow pages to find products and services that you need for your business. You want sales reps to call YOU! Being on the receiving end of cold calls makes your valuable time more productive. After all, picking up the phone book to find what you are looking for takes a few minutes; receiving a cold call only takes a few seconds. You are industrious; that is why you will do anything to become more productive.
Alas, there are tips, techniques, and strategies that you can implement to get more sales reps to cold call you. You must know what the mind set of the cold caller is and understand his motivation to be able to use that to your advantage.
Here are 5 strategies that you can implement immediately to watch your inbound cold calls soar through the roof:
1. Many times, cold callers are stopped dead in their tracks at the gates. The gatekeeper (receptionist or secretary) is usually programmed to filter out unsolicited phone calls so that they never get through to you, the decision maker. Tell your secretary to interrupt any meeting, lunch, or appointment that you are in the middle of to put those calls through to you. Your meetings are not as important as receiving a call from a salesperson that wants to sell you something like a new software program, a copier, a CRM system, a cutting edge way to advertise your business, etc.
2. Understand that cold calling consultants suggest that sales professionals are advised to make cold calls at off hours when there are no secretaries available to filter their calls. This would be before 9am or after 5 pm. This is the time when there are no nine to fivers and the only people working are the owners, principals, CEOs, executives, and decision makers. Sales reps love this time of day because their success rate of getting through to the right person increases dramatically. If you understand that there are significantly more calls during these hours, you must get to the office early and leave late to be able to field these calls.
3. Cold Calling is a numbers game. Sales consultants, like Stephan Schiffman, love to talk about the numbers. In Mr. Schiffman’s experience, it takes fifteen no’s until you get one yes. In other words, you need to make fifteen cold calls, on average, before you will make one appointment. That is, you will hear the word “no” fourteen time before you hear the word “yes.” This is crucial to understand. Although, you would love to make an appointment with every sales rep that cold calls you, YOU MUST NOT! This will skew their numbers. You must only make an appointment with every 15th cold caller that wants to sell you something. Don’t be discouraged that you must reject fourteen out of fifteen cold callers; they love rejection.
4. Understand that you are not the expert of your business. Sales reps know better what you and your business needs. When a sales rep visits you, they will try to sell you their goods and services. NEVER agree to buy immediately. First, throw out some objections. Sales reps are trained to counter your objections. Next ask questions. When you ask questions, this indicates to the sales rep that you are interested and it is their job to show you how their product or service is what you and your company need. After you propose five objections and questions the sales rep will proceed and undertake to “close” you. The sales rep comes equipped with an arsenal of closing techniques to finish the deal.
What you didn’t realize is that during your sales meeting with the rep, he had been sizing you up the entire time to choose the best sales closing technique to use on you to increase the odds of closing the sale. He will, then, dig into his arsenal of closes and choose the one that’s best for you. Sales reps are experts in psychology and they will choose the close that best fits your profile. When you hear the close, BUY. Buy immediately. When you hear the sales close, it means that the sales rep has decided that it is the right time for you to buy. The sales rep is a lot smarter than you are, so you must do whatever he suggests. After all, he knows your business and industry better than you.
If you follow these suggestions, you will be able to receive many more cold calls than you do now. Maybe even 20 per day (if you’re lucky). Receiving cold calls is an art, not a science. Good luck!
Tino Buntic hates cold calling. Through TradePals, he provides sales leads without cold calling to business professionals.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tino_Buntic
Cold Calling: Just DON'T Do It
Cold Calling: Just DON'T Do It
By Tino Buntic
Cold Calling is dead. That’s right, it is dead. It is interruption marketing to the highest degree. Consumers are tuning out interruption marketing and the advertising message is not getting through.
So why do you continue to cold call? It is probably because your sales manager tells you that you should. And why does he tell you to cold call? It is probably because the sales consultant that your company spent thousands of dollars on advised that the staff should increase their cold calls to increase their sales. Of course, your company needs to see a return on this investment so they advise the sales manager to advise the sales staff to follow the recommendations and increase the amount of cold calls.
“More cold calls equals more appointments made equals more sales presentations equals more closed sales.” This is the general thinking. So sales leads lists are purchased from companies such as InfoUsa and the troops hunker down in the “boiler room” and call business executives and decision makers hoping to set appointments. The generally accepted rule is 15 cold calls should translate into 3 appointments made which should result in 1 completed sale. This rule usually ends up being 150 (or more) cold calls equals 3 appointments made equals 1 completed sale. The reason? Have you ever tried calling a business executive? Then you know that it takes about 10 tries before you actually get through on the phone. So the intial 15 calls turns into 150 calls. Executives, by nature, are busy… appointments, meetings, travel, planning… they don’t have time for unsolicited phone calls. And, if you do manage to find them with some free time, it takes a lot of skill to get through the secretary (the gatekeeper); they are trained to filter out unimportant phone calls. And guess what? Your call is NOT IMPORTANT!
Let’s go back to the sales consultant that your company hired. How did your company decide that they needed to hire a sales consultant? Did the sales consultant cold call your company to advise that your company’s sales are not as high as they could be and that, therefore, they should hire a sales consultant to provide some recommendations? No he didn’t. The scenario was something along the following lines: The CEO of your company noticed that sales are decreasing and did a search on the internet for a sales consultant to potentially hire to help the company increase sales. The CEO called the consultant, they met, the consultant made his sales presentation, and he was hired. The sales consultant, already with a contract, just regurgitated old school sales principals, basically more cold calls. Perhaps he even drafted a few cold calling scripts. This is almost foolproof. If sales increase the consultant will say it was because of his cold calling training. If sales don’t increase he’ll say it is because the company wasn’t following his recommendations… they did not make enough cold calls.
The bottom line is this “sales expert” did not need to make a cold call to earn his income. The company CEO found him on the internet. He has a website and he lets his website do the selling for him. If the “sales expert” doesn’t need to make cold calls, then neither do you. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on sales consultants and sales lead lists, sell the way that these pros sell. Instead, spend that money on internet marketing. People that need your services are searching the internet to find somebody to provide it to them. If they are not finding you then your competitors are getting the business. If you don’t have a website, you can create a professional profile on other sites, such as trade-pals.com for free. Just remember, if you disturb somebody with a sales message it is interruption marketing. If someone finds you through searches it is permission marketing. People just don’t respond to interruption marketing anymore. If they find you, they have already made the conscious decision to use your services; half of your sales work will already have been done!
Tino Buntic is a former cold caller but is presently retired from cold calling. He now gets his sales leads through other means. His website, trade-pals.com, provides sales leads without cold calling to sales professionals across North America
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tino_Buntic
Cold Calling And Voicemail Messages: The Proper Etiquette
Cold Calling And Voicemail Messages: The Proper Etiquette
By Tino Buntic
There is a proper way and a wrong way to leave voicemail messages when cold calling. I'm not an advocate of cold calling; the odds of generating any amount of significant sales leads or new business are stacked against you when cold calling. But, it does work for a minority of people and some still do it. If you are a cold caller you must know the proper etiquette when leaving voicemail messages.
When you call on a prospect and receive his voicemail, your message must begin with your name and phone number, followed by your message or sales pitch, and ending with your name and phone number once more.
Before I explain why, let me tell you about a typical work week for me. In a typical week, I receive dozens of cold calls. People pitch me all kinds of products and services. Unlike most people, I actually don't mind receiving these calls. I enjoy hearing the various sales techniques that salespeople use. I’ve heard them all. I don't normally respond to them, but I at least hear them out. I don't always get to answer my phone, so logically many of these calls go to my voicemail.
Some of these voicemails amaze me. You wouldn’t believe how many times I get a voicemail that is a couple of minutes long and, often, the caller doesn't leave his return phone number until the very end. What happens if, as he is leaving his phone number, I get distracted, or I get a beep from my calling waiting, or background noise from his end garbles up the phone number? What would happen is that I would miss the phone number. That means that if I were interested in returning his call I would have to listen to the entire message again to get his number. Do you think I have time to do that? Do you think that any executive or decision maker has time for it for that matter? NO!
When leaving voicemail messages while cold calling you must start each message with your name and number, followed by your message, and ending with your name and number again. It's proper etiquette. It will increase your ratio of call backs. If someone misses your number and has to listen to your message again he won’t have to listen to the entire voicemail.
Tino Buntic created TradePals to provide B2B & B2C sales leads without cold calling to salespeople across the United States and Canada.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tino_Buntic
Sales Prospecting To Get More Sales Appointments Without Cold Calling
Sales Prospecting To Get More Sales Appointments Without Cold Calling
By Tino Buntic
To a large degree, sales is a numbers game – the more prospects you present to, the more sales you will close. Cold calling is also a numbers game. However, cold calling has the lowest success rate (if we define a success as booking a sales appointment) of any other prospecting method which you can use. Executives and decision makers don't want to be interrupted in their busy day by a cold caller with a sales pitch. Cold callers get tuned out.
With that said, I have compiled a list of ways to get more sales appointments without cold calling:
- Network with your existing client base to get referrals. If you call an existing client, it is not a cold call; it is a warm call because you already have a business relationship. Don't be afraid to call an existing client, especially one that is pleased with your services, to ask for referrals. It is easier to book a sales appointment with a prospect that has been referred rather than to do so with a prospect that was not met through a business referral.
- Use websites that provide free sales leads and free advertising. This way prospects will find you. Booking a sales appointment should be easy and our sales closing ratio should be higher when the prospect makes the initial contact as this means that he already knows that he has a need for your services. Trade-pals.com provides free B2B and B2C sales leads without cold calling. Craigslist.org provides free advertising via online classified ads. These are just two of the sites that you should try.
- Visit trade shows that your prospect base would go to. This way you can not only meet prospects in person in a social atmosphere but you can also collect their marketing material if they have it available at their booths. That way when you book a sales appointment, you will have material to research their firm ahead of time.
- Instead of giving people one business card, give them five. That way they can freely distribute your business card if they refer a colleague to you. If they didn’t have cards available, they may otherwise not remember to refer prospects to you.
Of course, there are dozens of other prospecting techniques that you can utilize to book sales appointments. Top salespeople always push themselves to book more appointments, close more sales, and sell more.Tino Buntic created his
Cold Calling Considerations and the Warm Up!
Cold Calling Considerations and the Warm Up!
By Lance Winslow
If you are serious about selling then you need to be serious about time allocation and production and therefore you need to cold call and get to as many decision makers and prospects as possible in order to develop leads and close more sales.
Selling on the phone is not easy and you also know that many of the people you contact will be busy and they may be interested but perhaps not now. You need a quick pitch or invitation to open the door to have a visitation, but do not waste your time with a sales call or giving them a free lunch if they are not interested.
How can you find out if they are interested in 20 seconds or less? Well that takes practice and after about 20-30 calls you will get the hang of it rather than having them hang-up on you! Even veteran cold calling salesmen do a warm up session in order to get ready for their cold calling. You need a warm up call or two is what you need, as it takes the edge off and puts you into the proper state of mind.
It is recommended that you find a friend who you often network with and call them first as a warm up call and allow them the same privilege when they need to warm up before they start cold calling each week. Consider all this in 2006.
Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Franchising Company and promotes the Franchising Industry and Franchise Business Model at www.Franchising.org
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow
Cold Calling Is Like Trying To Find A Needle In A Haystack
Cold Calling Is Like Trying To Find A Needle In A Haystack
By Tino Buntic
Have you ever tried to find a needle in a haystack? No, of course you haven't. This is just an expression for something that has a very low probability of happening. Even if there was a needle in a haystack, even if you wanted to find it, you would not find it. It is another way of saying "why bother?"
Do you cold call? If you are in B2B sales, you probably do, or at least you have at some point in your career. Cold calling is calling random people or random businesses in the hopes that you will be able to sell your product or service to one of them. I’m of the same opinion as trying to find a needle in a haystack… why bother?
Why bother? Not because cold calling has a good success rate. It doesn't. Why bother? Because in most cases, it is a sales manager pushing you to make cold calls. Cold calling may have worked in the past (20 years ago) but people still push it as a means of generating sales leads and new business even though it no longer works.
I don't think cold calling works anymore. If you think about it, all you are really doing is calling random people in the hopes of finding that needle in the haystack.
Think about it this way: If you owned a convenience store, would you send out an employee to stand in the front of your store with a case of coca-cola to try to sell individual cans to passerby? Of course not. You will never be able to make enough sales pushing your product onto random people. If a person wanted a can of Coke, he would just walk into your store and buy one. So why cold call random people?
Cold calling… why bother?
Tino Buntic created TradePals to provide free sales leads without cold calling to business professionals, entrepreneurs, and salespeople across North America. Visit the site and create a free profile to get started: http://www.trade-pals.com
Tino enjoys reading Frank J. Rumbauskas Jr's blog, Never Cold Call.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tino_Buntic
Don't like Cold Calling - Then Work to Eliminate it from Your Sales Routine
Don't like Cold Calling - Then Work to Eliminate it from Your Sales Routine
By Tony Dimech
More and more sales people tell me that they don't like cold calling, I must have heard a thousand different reasons for this, the most common being:
- I don't get through to many people these days when I am cold calling
I don't think Cold Calling is a professional way to introduce my business to potential clients
I have done enough of that in my time in sales
That is someone else's job - not mine!
My advice to people who don't want to spend time cold calling usually starts with a question, "why do you feel the need to cold call?" The answer is really quite simple - sales people are forced into cold calling when they don't have enough potential new business in their pipeline! Experienced, disciplined salespeople set out to reduce 'Cold Calling' by building a successful compilation of alternative approaches. These could include:
- Account development initiatives for existing customers
- Networking
- Business group involvement
- Joining relevant business associations
- Referrals from satisfied customers
- Participation in work oriented social events
- Public speaking
- Writing relevant business articles
- Community involvement
- When you are making sales calls to neighbouring businesses or offices, try to get your customer to introduce you rather than going in alone.
If you're driving and identify a company that you feel would make a good prospect customer, capture their details, do some research and find a way to make contact.
When you are calling a particular category of business where you have enjoyed success in the past, take a testimonial with you. If other companies in that sector are sourcing from you, it should be easier to gain interest from new companies.
Ask your customers if they know of other organisations that would benefit from using your products or services.
- Set a number of calls you are going to make in that session
Get in the right frame of mind before making a call
Be sure of your primary and secondary objectives
Try out new sales ideas
Think of each call as a training exercise
Critique your calls
Remember - the better the call the less you have to make!
Tony Dimech has spent all of his professional life in sales; he worked for 20 years various in positions for two international manufacturing companies. In 1998 he started Appleton Associates Ltd www.Appleton-Associates.co.uk one of the UK's leading sales training companies. Tony travels extensively throughout the world working with sales professionals to develop new ideas.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Dimech
FTC Do Not Call Registry And Cold Calling - The Facts
FTC Do Not Call Registry And Cold Calling - The Facts
By Tino Buntic
If you are a telemarketer and cold call consumers to solicit their business, there is information that you must know about the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the "Do Not Call Registry," lest you get in trouble with the law for cold calling somebody that is registered on the list. For the past two and a half years it has been illegal to call someone that is listed on the registry. Here are some of the most important details of the Do Not Call Registry:
Existing Business Relationships: A telemarketer may call on a consumer with which it has an existing business relationship for eighteen months after their last business transaction, even if that consumer is listed on the registry. However, if the consumer asks not to be called anymore the telemarketer must cease his calls.
Political Organizations, Charities, And Telephone Surveyors: The registry does not cover calls made from political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors. So, for example, Someone that is cold calling to sell his personal services for profit cannot call someone listed on the registry, but someone calling to solicit money for a charity may call people listed on the registry. Again, just as in existing business relationships, people have the right to ask not to be called and even political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors must adhere to such requests.
Accessing The Registry: If you are a telemarketer you must access the registry and update your "do not call" list at least once every thirty one days. You can access the registry at the website, www.telemarketing.donotcall.gov.
Penalties: It is against the law to call any phone number that is listed on the "do not call registry." So, it is your responsibility to check the registry and be sure to adhere to the proper telemarketing guidelines. Violators can be charged $11,000 for EACH bad phone call.
Tino Buntic's website, TradePals provides free sales leads without cold calling to business professionals across North America.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tino_Buntic
How To Stop Chasing Prospects Forever!
How To Stop Chasing Prospects Forever!
By Frank Rumbauskas
Perhaps the biggest challenge faced by salespeople is the problem of chasing prospects. In this article I’ll explain exactly why that happens, and how you can avoid it entirely and make prospects chase you instead.
I once heard Donald Trump say, "In selling, you must never appear desperate. As soon as you look desperate, it's over."
A friend and I were talking about the dynamics of a cold call the other day. When we make that call, we usually hope and expect that the prospect will be receptive to hearing what we have to say. However, salespeople face increasing resistance to cold calling, as well as increasing flakiness on the part of prospects who do meet with them. Instead of thinking, "Ok, this may be interesting," here's what most prospects actually think when they receive a cold call: "Great. You don't know me and I don't know you. You have no idea what my goals are. You don't even know if we need what you're selling, and in spite of all that, you've decided to waste my time anyway with this call."
What is increasingly becoming the norm is to be rejected by the good, solid prospects everyone wants, and to get appointments with flakey time-wasters who will never buy. Flakiness, in particular, is a growing problem thanks to the fact that prospects are increasingly bombarded with endless advertising as well as endless salespeople. When you consider the fact that few prospects actually have the courage to say "no" and instead choose to blow us off and make excuses, it becomes even more frustrating.
One of the main themes I try to teach salespeople is two-fold: 1) You must be supremely confident. 2) You must get into the habit of qualifying prospects OUT instead of merely qualifying them. It is the appropriate response to ever-increasing flakiness and evasiveness on the part of prospects. It's our way of communicating to them, "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen" in a non-verbal way. The idea of taking the lead and qualifying prospects out is scary at first, and as a result most salespeople aren't willing to do it, but it will save you lots of otherwise wasted time with prospects who aren't really serious, and will free that time up to be spent with prospects who are going to buy.
It's important to start all sales relationships from a position of power, and you do this in two ways: 1) Through your outward presentation. This is easily accomplished by acting very professional and dressing better than your prospects, rather than taking the wrong advice of "dressing like your prospects." It's easy to say "no" to someone with whom you're comfortable, but much more difficult to say "no" to someone who intimidates you. 2) Through your actions. A great example is someone who is squirrely about agreeing to an appointment with you. In many cases, these are the people who finally agree to meet with you but eventually blow you off without buying. When I found myself in this situation, I discovered a great way to overcome it. It goes back to the idea of confidence bordering on mild arrogance, and puts you in the position of power. When you're getting the runaround, something like "Well, we'll let you know when we have time to pencil you in," say something like, "Great, let me know. I'm very busy so I need to know either way - NOW." This will get rid of time-wasters, and with serious prospects, will clearly communicate that you're a serious businessperson, should be taken seriously, and will not tolerate having your time wasted and otherwise being disrespected. It will also set you apart from the competition and greatly increase your chances of getting the sale.
As time goes on and I work with more salespeople, I'm realizing that this idea of being powerful really overrides everything else, and once you can pull it off, it overshadows everything. You can do a poor job of presenting and selling and yet this can carry you all by itself. For anyone who is doubtful about this idea of presenting yourself as overconfident and even a little bit arrogant, I'll go back to Donald Trump since he's famous for his giant ego. I saw him on Larry King, and as they were taking live calls, one of the callers openly confronted him about his massive ego and Larry King jumped on and questioned him about it as well. Donald Trump simply replied, "Have you EVER met a successful person who didn't have a big ego?" After some hemming and hawing from King, Trump repeated the question to him, and King finally said, "No."
Moving on from the idea of avoiding an appearance of desperation and creating an appearance of power, there's another very good reason as to why prospects who are uncovered via cold calling are flakey. This one has nothing to do with us and everything to do with a particular prospect's mindset and level of sales vulnerability to begin with.
Most of us have noticed, at some time or another, that prospects who absolutely refuse to take cold calls and have giant "No Soliciting" signs plastered on their front doors tend to be the easiest to sell to once you manage to get in front of them. There are a few popular theories as to why this is so, the most common one being the idea that since so few salespeople get through to begin with, there is little competition and therefore a better chance of getting the sale. However, I know the real reason behind this.
The reason those people are so defensive against sales pitches and have all those "No Soliciting" signs is quite simple. They are AFRAID of salespeople. They know very well that they have a very difficult time saying "no," and as such they are highly vulnerable to sales presentations and know very well that if a salesperson gets to them, they'll probably buy whether they need to or not.
(I never figured this out until I spoke with an expert on social dynamics who has studied the subject of human social interaction in depth. He explained that the people who act the coldest and most unapproachable in social settings do so because they're overly vulnerable to being seduced and falling in love and therefore are afraid of what someone's advances may lead to.)
Now that we've explained why those people are the easiest to sell to, let's look at the opposite type of prospect: those who willingly take your call and willingly agree to set an appointment.
If those who are easily sold won't take your call and won't agree to meet with you, why would someone be so agreeable to taking your call and meeting with you? Exactly. It's because they have no fear of salespeople. They know right from the start that there's little chance of them being sold. Their openness and receptiveness to your call puts us off-guard. We think we have a great shot at a sale, but in reality we're meeting with someone who is 99% certain not to buy.
Since the people who willingly take cold calls usually don't buy, and the people who usually buy don't take cold calls, what's the solution? Since those who are easily sold almost always meet with salespeople only when they've called the salesperson first and not the other way around, you must get your message across to these people in creative and effective ways other than cold calling.
To those highly desirable prospects who are easily sold, all salespeople seem the same. The only way to win with them is to separate yourself from the rest of the crowd.
The first way to accomplish this is to be that powerful businessperson who needs nothing and deserves respect. I think most of us were taught and have gotten into the habit of treating prospects as superiors and as a result we tend to do whatever is convenient for prospects and otherwise kiss up to them. We are used to rearranging our schedules just to meet with that one prospect. Stop this, and start expecting your prospects to treat YOU with the respect and consideration you deserve as someone who is not only a business equal, but who has the knowledge and wisdom to help them and improve their businesses and their lives.
The second way to stand out is to stop cold calling. Nothing will stereotype you as a typical salesperson faster than a cold call. The way to win with prime prospects is to get your message across to them in ways that don't use cold calling. You'll get in front of the easy sales, and you won't have any competition once you get there.
Frank Rumbauskas is the author of Cold Calling Is a Waste of Time: Sales Success in the Information Age. He is the founder of FJR Advisors LLC, which publishes training materials on generating business without cold calling. For more information, please visit http://www.nevercoldcall.com
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Outsourced B2B Cold Calling And Telemarketing - Is It Worth It?
Outsourced B2B Cold Calling And Telemarketing - Is It Worth It?
By Tino Buntic
There is a recent trend towards outsourcing your B2B cold calling and telemarketing to companies that specialize in cold calling prospects and setting appointments for you. This article aims to evaluate the pros and cons of outsourced cold calling.
The reasons to outsource your B2B cold calling are numerous; the following are the pros of outsourcing your telemarketing services:
- Your sales reps hate cold calling; they hate the rejection. If they can receive sales leads without cold calling they would love that; it would free up more time for face-to-face meetings which would lead to more closed sales.
- You would spend less money on purchasing lead lists from companies such as InfoUSA and D&B.
- You wouldn't have to pay a big salary to your sales force to do menial tasks like dialing a telephone.
- Outsourced telemarketing companies normally provide cold calling training to their call center staff. This could include training on how to get passed the receptionist or gatekeeper and through to the actual decision maker. This gives them a competitive advantage.
- Cold calling outsourcing firms can also actually set appointments providing their clients with qualified sales leads.
These are all great reasons to outsource your cold calling to a specialist firm. But, does that actually make it worth it?
My answer to that question is NO. Actually, in most cases my answer is no. What you need to do is calculate your return on equity vis-à-vis your return on equity on other advertising campaigns. After all, a telemarketing campaign is just like an advertising campaign. It is marketing for new clients or prospects. If you can get more bang for your buck in an alternative advertising campaign, you should do that instead.
Researching prices on the internet, I found that one prominent B2B cold calling firm charges $1800 for 100 hours of cold calling. Let's say that in an hour they can make 10 cold calls. That would be 1000 cold calls in an hour. Let’s further say that for every 10 calls they set one appointment. That equals 100 sales leads. At $1800 that would cost you $18 per lead.
Now, $18 per lead may not be bad. Perhaps you make $1000 in commission per closed sale and you can close 1 out of every 3 sales leads. On the surface, this would be worth the costs of hiring a firm to do your cold calling for you.
But before you decide that outsourcing your cold calling is a good idea, you must evaluate other advertising methods that you may use. Perhaps you’d have a better ROI with newspaper ads or radio commercials? Perhaps online advertising would produce a higher ROI?
Take, for example, link ads on Google's AdWords program. You can purchase leads for just pennies per click. Let’s say the keywords that you target cost 50 cents per click. At this rate, you would receive 36 sales leads for $18. Cold calling costed you $18 for just 1 lead. Perhaps the cold calling leads are better quality. But with the share numer of more leads that could be possible via other marketing methods, it may not be worth it.
Tino Buntic created TradePals to provide free advertising and B2B sales leads without cold calling to business professionals, entrepreneurs, and salespeople across North America. Tino enjoys reading blogs and two of his favorite include Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch and Marketing Interactions by Ardath Albee.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tino_Buntic
Cold Calling For Sales Leads - 5 Things to Increase Your Chances
Cold Calling For Sales Leads - 5 Things to Increase Your Chances
By Rich Lawson
#1 Research the List
There’s no point ringing hairdressers trying to sell software. Target those companies that you stand a good chance of making the sale with. It’s the ‘there’s been a fire in the area’ and you sell smoke alarms. Watch out for new industry policies or law, look through news items and compile a good list – then research it and the person you’ll need to speak with.
#2 Set Aside the Time
Cold Calling can strike fear into sales people, for no good reason. Set aside 2 hours with a 15 minute break. Make sure that you will not be distracted or disturbed during this time. You’re going to be generating business and ultimately making money – so focus.
#3 Have a Specific Aim In Mind
You’re probably as guilty as me when it comes to this. Sales people are hungry for business by nature and it can be tempting to go for a sale quickly. Your prospects are likely to be wary so it’s a case of 1 peg at a time. Go for a series of qualifying questions and an appointment. Treat the appointment as your sales close. Your questions shouldn’t be exhaustive. You need to qualify that the person can do business with you and will make an appointment to explore those opportunities with you. You can’t be weak though. Depending upon what you sell, asking ‘if we satisfy your requirements is there any reason you can see (feel/hear – use your NLP) from what we’ve discussed so far that you wouldn’t feel comfortable placing your business with ABC Company?’
#4 Prepare Your Opening Statement Properly
There’s no excuse for not doing this right – you shouldn’t be picking up the phone if this isn’t right! Let’s say your company specialises in the integrity of computer data and you’re targeting a company who has just announced its expansion by moving to bigger offices. Once through to the correctly researched person your opening should be along the lines of ‘Hi John’ (always use a first name), ‘It’s James Kent from ABC Company and I’ve just read that you guys are expanding and moving into new larger offices. My company specializes in computer data and hardware transfer to ensure zero loss transfer. I wanted to speak with you and see if our services may be something that you would need. I know it’s recently been announced but have you considered this area of your move yet?
#5 Evaluate Your Work and Track Your Results
Learn your ratios – properly. Analyze why you get an appointment and why you don’t. Listen properly to the people you speak with. What are the common objections? How can you answer them? What makes you different not cheaper than the competition? You’ll find certain vertical markets have similar concerns – crack one and you’ve cracked them all! Knowing your ratio’s means you know how much you need to do to get the results that you need and you can work them back. If 1 sale gets you $150 and it takes 3 appointments for a sale and 10 calls for 3 appointments then each call is worth $15. How many calls you going to make now?
Get Your Free Mini-Course – ‘How to Generate a Stream of Targeted Sales Leads in 5 Days’ Now at http://www.SalesLeadSecret.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Lawson
15 Tips to Making More Telephone Appointments, More Often
www.ColdCallFacts.com
15 Tips to Making More Telephone Appointments, More Often
By Philip Ashforth
So we all hate having to make telephone appointments, it’s a pretty thankless task at the best of times, but if you learn your craft well, at least you will be out there getting appointments and making things happen. Just remember, if you sell a product worth say 5000 pounds, and it takes you 100 rejections to get that sale, then each of those rejections is worth £50.00. If you were paid £50.00 just for getting a NO each time, you’d be on that phone day and night wouldn’t you?
These tips are just a few of the many hundreds I could write from my 17 years experience of cold calling and appointment making. Nothing happens without a sale.
The tips.
1. Be absolutely clear why you are making the call, establish in advance what it is you want to happen, structure the questions around that outcome, remember – sell the appointment, not the product!
2. Basic politeness, not false, if you enjoy people, it shows, try to enjoy yourself, you are a specialist in one of life’s most noble professions. be courteous, no matter what’s going on at the other end, you are the professional, prove it.
3. Keep good records! So many telephone marketers lose the plot because they just can’t remember where they are up to with their list, I have done this myself, re-calling a client I only just spoke to with the same sales pitch! It’s worth saving yourself this embarrassment just for the sake of paying attention and making a few notes in a system, not just a pad you might lose.
4. If you call an automated system, press zero, it is usually a default for reception, if that doesn’t work and you are forced to listen to the whole menu of options, make a note of the option number for the next call so you will save time.
5. Tape the phone to your hand! Well that’s just metaphorically speaking. The point is, just start phoning and keep at it, just promise you will do a chunk of an hour to start, no matter what, it is so easy to do anything but make the calls you know matter.
6. Always address your prospects by their title, i.e. Mr Jones, using first names on a cold call can appear to be over-familiar, I have been caught out a couple of times and learned very early its title first, until rapport is built between you.
7. Listen, Listen, Listen! So many sales people miss this one, on the phone doing their script and not listening carefully to the response. Missing vital info and buying signals. Try repeating each word your prospect is saying in your head very shortly after they have said it. It is a good discipline to make sure you are using your ears and mouth in the right order.
8. Stay off the radar. Simply getting more chances to be put through to a prospect by not alerting the gatekeeper to who you are. If the prospect is not there, just quickly say you’ll call later thanks, and off you go. I wouldn’t usually leave a message until at least a good number of attempts to get through.
9. Be persistent. Try varying your call patterns, call later, call early, call on a Friday afternoon, don’t buy in to the myth that there are times of the day not worth calling, making appointments is like fishing. I have often abandoned a fishing location, only to see another angler come in exactly the same place and get a full net! Technique and belief are what matters.
10. Get it out quickly. Prospects hate a drawling delivery, say it quick and keep it sharp, not too quick, but just at a good pace, get to the point early, ask for what you want.
11. When speaking avoid filler words like er, erm, y’know, they are diluting your delivery and make you sound clumsy. Just be aware of what you are saying and ‘kill the fill’ You will get more appointments.
12. If not now when? Both if your prospect is not available, or if your prospect has said there is a chance of an appointment, just not yet. Why is now not a good time? When will be better? Can we pencil that in the diary?
13. Have your diary at the ready, with a good idea of how many appointments you are going to make. If your diary is not even open in your drawer, you are just programming yourself to believe you aren’t going to make any meetings. Have a positive expectation of the appointments, how many, and when you are going to schedule them.
14. As Henry Ford Said: “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right either way.” Think positive, take rejection and learn – It’s not personal, enjoy it, it’s made you stronger! Develop a formidable mental attitude, read motivational books.
15. When you close on an appointment, confirm the details carefully, get the date right, confirm by email, offer that if the prospect wishes to make any changes, they can feel free to. It will demonstrate you are a professional, and not make the prospect feel trapped and closed on.
Phil Ashforth is Managing Director of Apple Creative Design, a design agency offering graphic design for print and web based in Preston, UK. The agency also provides marketing consultancy to complement their range design services Look at his work on http://www.apple-design.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_Ashforth
Overcoming Call Reluctance
Overcoming Call Reluctance
By Michael J Beck
Everyone in marketing faces it at one time or another - reluctance to pick up the phone and make calls. Logically, it makes no sense to feel that way. We believe in our product or service. We have a script that’s either been given to us or one that we’ve carefully written out. We have a list of prospects that are at least somewhat targeted. We know that when someone says “No”, it’s not directed at us. And still… the phone weighs a ton.
OK. You decide that the pain of being broke is greater than the pain of “cold” calling, so you commit to making calls each and every day. Or at least commit to try. Or try at least some days each week. For a while anyway…
We’ve all been through all of this before, and guess what? IT DOESN’T WORK! We’re still reluctant to make the calls we know we need to. So what’s the deal? Are you just “bad” at calling? Is it that calling only works for some but not most of us?
The answer, of course, is that calling can work for any one of us. It’s a matter of finding the right “key”(s) to open that door of calling success. We need to address why the typical “cold” call isn’t effective. We’ll start with the obvious issue. Calling strangers causes most people some amount of anxiety. Why does it make us feel so anxious and apprehensive? I’ve found that there are four reasons that cause people to feel anxious about calling. If any one of them exists, anyone would feel anxious about making a call. Here they are:
1) We feel that we sound like a telemarketer. Somewhat unprofessional and/or insincere.
2) We aren’t sure how to effectively start the call.
3) We aren’t sure how to effectively steer the conversation.
4) We aren’t sure how to comfortably and professionally end the conversation.
Let’s look at each one of these issues separately and find out how to put them behind us.
1) We feel that we sound like a telemarketer
What makes a telemarketer sound like a telemarketer? Think about it for a moment. You know the drill – we’ve all received telemarketing calls both at home and at work. What is it about that call that marks it as a telemarketing call? There are several factors that make us cringe at these calls. First off, telemarketers are either overly friendly to start with or they sound completely disinterested. Both make the caller sound insincere. Secondly, telemarketers talk and rarely ask. The call is all about their product and service and not about the person who received the call. Thirdly, they usually plow through their script, not allowing us to get a word in edgewise. And fourth, it’s always evident that they’re reading a script to you rather than speaking to you as a person. Those four factors generally mark the call as a telemarketing call.
How do you keep people from viewing you as a telemarketer? Simple. Don’t do those things!
a) When you call, don’t be overly enthusiastic and don’t be disinterested or matter-of-fact in your tone. Speak in an appropriate, natural tone and manner.
b) As you get into your conversation, ask questions. Be consultative. Remember, this is about your prospect, not about you.
c) & d) Practice your script so it is as conversational as possible. I always write out my script so it reads as naturally as possible. It’s usually not perfect writing but it is always natural and easy to say.
2) We aren’t sure how to start the call
The thing that annoys most of us when a telemarketer calls is that they dive right into some sales pitch without even knowing whether we have the time or interest in hearing about what they have to say. The most effective way to be viewed as a professional is to act like one. As an example, here is the way I start my marketing calls:
“Bob? Good Morning. This is Michael Beck. How are you today? (pause) Bob, I’m an executive coach (pause – I want to make sure they understood what I just said) and have worked with insurance managers for a number of years. Do you have a few minutes to chat?”
As simple as the above exchange is, it serves a number of important purposes:
a) In short order, I’ve told him who I am and what I do.
b) I said his name two times. (People love to hear their own name. Read “How to Win Friends and Influence People”)
c) I began to establish credibility. (“I’ve worked with insurance managers for a number of years.”)
d) I asked permission to take some of his time.
3) We aren’t sure how to steer the conversation
We ended the start of our phone call with a question: “Do you have a few minutes to chat?” There can only be three answers to that question – “Yes”, “No”, or “What is this about?”
• If the answer is Yes, you’re off and running.
• If the answer is No, you could say you’ll call back or ask when a good time to call back would be, but why not use the opportunity to get more information? Since you’ve already told him who you are and what you do, why not ask: “Would you like me to call back?” The answer will either be Yes or No! Either way you should be happy. Either you’ll know not to waste your time trying to reach a disinterested prospect or you’ll have a somewhat pre-qualified prospect on your list!
• If the response is, “What is this about?”, have a short explanation of why you’ve called prepared, something like: “I wanted to share some of what I do, find out what your initiatives are, and see whether what I do could help you reach your goals faster and easier.”
Pretty straightforward isn’t it? …
If you approach the meat of your conversation in a way to see if you can help your prospect, rather than sell them something, it’s quite easy to have a stress-free, effective conversation.
No matter what the goal of your call is, at some point the discussion needs to draw to a close with a “trigger” question. “Can we set up an appointment to go over this in more detail?” or “Here’s what we should do next…”
4) We aren’t sure how to end the conversation
How you handle the end of your conversation will determine you well you protect your attitude. We ended the middle of our conversation with a question (see a pattern here?). There can only be three answers to your question – “Yes”, “I need more information”, or “No”
• If the answer is Yes, again you’re off and running.
• If the answer is a request for more information, have a simple process ready to provide prospects with additional information and/or credibility-building materials, get a commitment for a follow-up call, and set it up as an appointment in both your calendar and theirs. Don’t leave the follow-up as a vague process. Inotherwords get a phone appointment and avoid endless voicemails and phone tag.
• If the answer is No, my preference is to thank them for their time and candor, ask them if they’d like me to give them a call back in 6-12 months, and then hang up!
Let me close with a couple of perspectives that have served me and others well over the years.
One perspective is that if you find that any one prospect means a great deal to you, it’s a sure sign that you aren’t finding enough prospects. Put in more effort. Then everything else takes care of itself.
The other perspective that I have found helpful pertains to rejection, and is illustrated in this story:
Imagine you have a recipe for fantastic chocolate chip cookies and bake them to perfection. They’re absolutely delicious! You take a tray of these cookies around to people, asking them whether they would like one. The first person takes one and loves it. The next person you offer the cookies to declines - they are full, don’t like chocolate, or don’t want sweets. Here is the key question: “Does the fact that the second person didn’t want your cookies affect the quality of the cookies or the skill of the baker?” Clearly the answer is no. Their decision doesn’t have anything to do with the cookies or the baker. Their decision was about what’s going on in your their life, not yours.
When you create an effective phone process – knowing how to get into and out of conversations – and understand that a “No” truly is not about you at all, calling becomes more comfortable and it becomes easier to make many more calls. The result? Financial Success!
Copyright 2006 Exceptional Leadership, Inc.
Michael Beck, "The Insurance Coach" is an Executive Coach and Recruiting Activist, and helps insurance professionals succeed faster and easier. He can be reached at 866-385-8751 or mbeck@theinsurancecoach.com Visit his website to learn more: http://www.TheInsuranceCoach.com You can subscribe to his newsletter here: http://www.theinsurancecoach.com/Subscribe.htm
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_J_Beck
Reduce Cold Call Frustration By Reengineering Your Attitude!
www.ColdCallFacts.com
Reduce Cold Call Frustration By Reengineering Your Attitude!
By D.M. Arenzon
www.ColdCallFacts.com
Reduce Cold Call Frustration By Reengineering Your Attitude!
By D.M. Arenzon
We all know the benefits of cold calling and its ability to gain new clients and take additional market share. We also understand that with such success comes a price and this price is called “Cold Call Frustration.” The constant rejection, the number of calls, the amount of repeat calls to the same prospect and the voicemail messages that you leave can be very mentally draining. It can consume you and strip you of your motivation. As a result, your attitude becomes affected and you turn to a pathway of negativity. If you allow cold calling to consume you then you will not last at your job very long. In this case watch out for Donald Trump because he may say you’re "FIRED!"
So what can you do to conquer these frustrations? One sure-fire way to constantly stay focused and be motivated is to listen to motivational tapes on your breaks, in your sales meetings or even in your car! These personal development or self-help types of programs are empowering tools that you can use to increase your awareness of the world around you. The contents of these programs include many ideas and concepts that are considered by many as common sense, but in reality, they are not common usage.
Example personal development topics that you could listen to include a few of the following:
Positive Thinking
Goal Setting
Attitude
Stress Management
When you make a proactive effort to “feed your mind” of this type of self-help information you now become more aware (meaning the information that we have learned moves from our subconscious to conscious mind) of how to handle certain obstacles that we experience in life—and in this case it’s cold call frustration. Here a few more tips on how you may want to embrace this new idea:
Try keeping a box of motivational audio tapes and cds in your car so that you can easily listen to a variety of speakers.
Ebay is a cost-effective website that you can use to purchase these programs.
If you can get your sales team to buy into this idea you can play different tapes at each sales meeting without cutting into your department’s budget.
Incorporate what you have learned into your sales calls as a tool to reduce resistance. Your newfound enthusiasm and positive attitude have the power to alter your prospect’s state of mind. This means that you have the power to change their attitude and as a result you may end up changing their behavior--that means a new sale for you!
A few of my favorite motivational speakers include Anthony Robbins, Les Brown, Zig Ziglar and Brian Tracy.
As a final note, I have recently finished listening to Dale Carnegie’s audio book called "How To Stop Worrying And Start Living" he wrote that one’s attitude is the chief engineer of one’s life and you know what? He’s right! Motivational tapes are a great way to "reengineer your attitude" so that you quickly reduce your cold call frustration.
Copyright 2006 MR. COLD CALL SEMINARS - All rights reserved.
Mr. Cold Call is the author of "How To Have Fun Cold Calling” and "114 Common Sales Objections, 153 Clever And Savvy Responses." According to Mr. Cold Call, "Your cold call success is dependent on 11 winning personality traits (known as your Telephone Persona Of Success! )." Collectively, these traits allow you to uniquely market yourself over the telephone so that you can inspire your prospect’s curiosity and reduce their resistance. Are you interested in finding out more about Mr. Cold Call? Then sign-up for his weekly cold calling tips at http://www.mrcoldcall.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=D.M._Arenzon
www.ColdCallFacts.com
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