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5 Reasons Why Cold Calling is NOT Dead

What exactly does a Cold Call mean?

 

To me, it's the first contact with a potential prospect by either a phone call or stop in.

 

Funny, I was looking for some images on google for "cold call" and ninety-nine percent of those images are for people making a phone call!  Going on site and good old fashioned knocking on doors is also cold calling. 

 

It seems there are those that think Cold Calling is Dead, and I'm thinking that person or people who believe that Cold Calling is dead were really not that good at honing their sales skills.  Now, do any of us enjoy looking at a client in our database, recognizing that you've called them for four years and you've gained no ground in getting through to the Decision Maker?

 

Yeah, just what I thought, the answer is NO!

 

However, you can make cold calling fun!  What I do, is to put on my ultra happy as every to call you mode.  Through the tone of my voice, I'm projecting that I'm delighted that I 've called XYZ company. I then ask if the person I'm speaking to can help me.  Sometimes I'll even tell them that I'm a first time caller to their company. Point is to have fun and be upbeat!

 

1)  Performing a cold call in the field can help you see if the company is expanding and or embracing technology. Sometimes you can't get that message from a phone call.

 

2) When I'm motivated or need to make some additional bucks (same thing, right), all I have to do is pick up the phone and I can roll through 40-50 accounts.  Can't do that with email or the on-site cold call.

 

3) Every now and then you'll run into Mr. or Mrs. Decision Maker when you perform and on-site cold call.  That's key, they can now place a face with the name and you can get a good feel if they require a follow up.

 

4) When times are tough, the tough get going.  Meaning, you've made the phone calls, and you've turned up a goose egg.  Change it up, and plan 10 or 15 in person visits to new prospects. 

 

5) You just never know what you'll turn up.  I've always stated that even when times are bad and you got nothing going on, that each new day brings a new opportunity. Winners make things happen and losers wait for things to happen.  Getting in the car and performing cold calls is a great way to break a sales slump.  Just DO IT!

 

Sales is what you make of it, orders will never come to you. You need to work for those orders, if you work hard and put in the time the orders will come.  Cold calling is a tool to me, as a hammer is to a Carpenter. I need to cold call in order to get me everything I want.

 

-=Good Selling=-

 

 

 

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Comments (6)

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Nice post. Truly, "Attitude is everything". Whenever I get a bit gun-shy about making cold calls (which is more often than not, I confess) and the seeming 'wasted' effort it can feel like, I remember some sage advice my wife (a.k.a Head Cheerleader) gave me one time, which helps: "Honey, remember, you're just looking for the live ones."    

Art, great article. I was listening to a podcast the other day and they were alluding to the fact that cold calling is dead and social media marketing has replaced it.  While I believe both are necessary, there still doesn't seem to be any substitute for face to face contact. You get so much more information!

 

As Frank Betcher puts it in his book "How I Raised Myself From Failure To Success In Selling", if you "act" enthusiastic you will become enthusiastic.

JS:

 

Thanx for the comment. Yup social media is here to stay, but, it can be so impersonal. Too me, social media marketing is akin to radio, in order for it to have a lasting and dramatic effect. You have to develop a strategy and do it over and over for a long period of time.

I always enjoy reading short reminders regarding this and always share with our sales team.  The key for me is that I enjoy talking to and engaging with new folks.  When I stop thinking of selling or "trying to out-talk" someone and focus on how our services can help them improve their business, the exchange is fun!

This is a good point. The problem with most people cold calling is that they get that "defeatist" attitude when someone is rude to them. Kill them with kindness I say! I always put it like this, if I see a place that I don't know about...I think, well...if I don't go, I don't know! For every 5 people that are rude, there are 10 that are pleasant and willing to talk to you for a few minutes.

 

Keep Up The Grind!

Last edited by GCBS
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