Cold Calling Ideas and Tips

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSA-Mktg

And, the first call, IMHO, is to sell the appointment. If you're not making on site sales calls, then sell the next phone call, for example: I'd like to schedule some time next week when we could discuss how XXX Company can reduce your freight costs (or whatever)

If they can't buy your service over the phone then don't try and sell it over the phone. I agree, make "selling the appointment" the objective of your call.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liberty

If they can't buy your service over the phone then don't try and sell it over the phone. I agree, make "selling the appointment" the objective of your call.

Are you willing to make multiple contacts? Here is why I ask: I believe they will alway keep you at arms length, but will be willing to take one small step toward you if it is not too far out of their comfort zone.

Picture a straight line. You are on one end. They are on the other. The goal is only to get them to take one step toward you. Ask for something small. Permission to call again. Permission to send them your brochure. Better yet, do you have something valuable you can give them for free? You've been in the business 15 years, maybe you can write a booklet with tips or put together some resource that would be useful to them for use in their office. Then your first contact would be asking permission to send them something valuable for free. Who would say not to that??

On the next call, your prospect is starting from a closer point to you. You will only strike a deal when he is in range. He won't leap across the distance.

I find a mailing/phone combination is a good combo. I have decided to eliminate cold calling and instead target my best prospects and send them something in the mail first. I am still "cold calling" them, but I have paved the way and warmed them up just a bit.

I send them a billfold (which is a prop for my sales pitch). Then when I call them, I start out by saying I'm the crazy lady who sent them the billfold. Do they remember seeing it? Ok, maybe that's a bit unconventional, but most people remember the billfold and my lighthearted opening disarms them. Most of them remember it. (few remember routine sales materials)

I then say the great things mentioned in the previous posts and close for the appointment. This has made cold calling much easier and I do not have to make as many calls because the ones I make are already targeted and "warmed up" before I ever have to talk to them.

Just keep trying until you find what works.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liberty

If they can't buy your service over the phone then don't try and sell it over the phone.

This is one of the biggest mistakes I've seen agents do, trying to sell the listing over the phone.

Here is an article by Jeffrey Gitomer: Sell the appointment, not the product.

Interesting article. Gitomer doesn't pull any punches or sugar coat things does he?

Here are three quotes from Gitomer's article that I thought were of particular interest:

Quote:

If you call and the person is willing, and you set the appointment, that's dumb luck. My 5-year-old granddaughter Morgan can mail out information and set an appointment with someone who's willing. This is about the people who perceive they're not.

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The first thing you've got do before you even get the appointment is get the attention and interest of the decision maker. You do this by engaging him or her, and you engage with questions or statements that lead to them wanting to know more, and not necessarily more about you. Rather, more about what you know that could help them.

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They do not want to be or need to be educated, they want answers, just like you do. They do not want solutions, they want answers. They do not want to take time to hear about you -- if they give you time, it better be about them.

Jason, rest assured that when you call on a potential client in the back of his/her mind is the nagging question, "What's in it for me?" When you write out your scripts check to insure that you are answering this question clearly.

Well, I've taken notes or printed out all this advice and am in the process of rewriting my script, and I am excited about that.

I think with not having any sales training I always felt that I didn't want to get to corny and I was kinda scared to go that far. In fact I kinda felt that what I did have was almost to corny I couldn't see myself getting through it without cracking, but I do. But I also realize that I need to get a message across and to do it as effective, effecient, and clearly as I can and maybe my fear has kept me from thinking of how to do that. What I have gotten here just in a day or so has been great for me and I have learned a lot. I really appreciate everyone who has given advice.

As far as my leads goes, the directory I have has all types and sizes of companies, from mom and pop to companies like GE and Ford. The problem is 95% just don't want to talk to me or they don't work with brokers (and never will as some are quick to say) or they are happy with who they have. I think what I have gotten here will help maybe give me some firepower to shoot past some of those objections. The ones I do get a chance with, the ones with poor paying freight or sporadic freight, I get that chance with them because nobody else wants to deal with them for that reason. If I could find 100 of those companies, and a way to keep in contact with them on a regular basis, it might be worth it and would be a good niche. The ones I can't get or want to get are pretty closed off or are well taken care of that it is hard to get in.

Again, thanks for the advice and keep it coming to if you have more. I will update my progress here. And I have been thinking of how I may possibly repay everyone for their kindness and the best I could come up with now is to help others here as well. Thanks again!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ogre131

The ones I do get a chance with, the ones with poor paying freight or sporadic freight, I get that chance with them because nobody else wants to deal with them for that reason. If I could find 100 of those companies, and a way to keep in contact with them on a regular basis, it might be worth it and would be a good niche. The ones I can't get or want to get are pretty closed off or are well taken care of that it is hard to get in.

It sounds like that might be your "breaking into the market" niche. Even though these are more challenging, perhaps you can find a way to make that your "specialty." That can be what distinguishes you from the crowd--meeting their special needs. I don't know enough about your business to really say any more.

I personally can relate to your dilemma because I have a product that would work for small companies all over the US, but it is challenging when every phase of the sales process has to be done by phone, email, or US mail. I started out exactly like you. Not a stitch of experience. I made up a script and started calling. In time, I developed a several point of contact routine (no one will buy from the first call) and gradually worked my way toward the sale. Don't be afraid to keep re-writing and re-writing. You'll find your groove. Sometimes the things that people say to you, in the process of calling, gives you better ideas and you build from there.

Good luck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ogre131

I have a small customer base from previous contacts, as I have been in the warehouse/trucking business for about 15 years.

Are you growing and leveraging your sphere of influence as much as you could be?

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Are you willing to make multiple contacts? Here is why I ask: I believe they will alway keep you at arms length, but will be willing to take one small step toward you if it is not too far out of their comfort zone.

I love this quote, RainMaker. Well put. That was the thinking behind my blog post earlier in this thread. Some people think this approach shows a weakness of some kind or lack of killer instinct. "Just crank out the calls and close the appointment on the first call," they argue.

But my attitude is, if you're in this profession to enjoy it as you win, not just win, you owe it to yourself to try an approach that makes calls warmer, and is built upon having real conversations with people to decide where to go next, not mowing them down with a script.

Along those lines, Seth Godin had a blog post today about a person cold calling his offices in-person. Check it out. I think the message in it applies to any phone calling strategy that is built on mowing people down.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandonH

I love this quote, RainMaker. Well put. That was the thinking behind my blog post earlier in this thread. Some people think this approach shows a weakness of some kind or lack of killer instinct. "Just crank out the calls and close the appointment on the first call," they argue.

But my attitude is, if you're in this profession to enjoy it as you win, not just win, you owe it to yourself to try an approach that makes calls warmer, and is built upon having real conversations with people to decide where to go next, not mowing them down with a script.

Along those lines, Seth Godin had a blog post today about a person cold calling his offices in-person. Check it out. I think the message in it applies to any phone calling strategy that is built on mowing people down.

When I'm cold called - gutters, lawn service, charity, investments, phone service, credit cards, windows to name a few - I never want to do business with the caller as I am as happy with all of that as is as I am my barber, who changes my oil.

I'm polite for a few seconds or minute if I have the time, then say something like, "No, thank you."

One come back and I might say, "Thank you, I said no.?" [or I might simply hang up after the first NO.

BUT a second come back and I am not happy with the caller. Then it's "bye."

A warm call is one that respects my NO! A cold call is one that doesn't.

Cold Calling Ideas and Tips

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