Don't like Cold Calling - Then Work to Eliminate it from Your Sales Routine

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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

Here are a few sales training suggestions, which if incorporated into your sales routines could significantly reduce the amount of cold calls you have to make.

• 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.

Please remember nothing works all of the time so it is unlikely that you will ever be able to totally eradicate the need to 'Cold Call'. So when you do have to make some don't forget to:<

• 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.

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