Hiring on cold callers for your business

Bald Dogs got a lot of good / valid points.

You can do the hard bitten upfront/ approach in certain fields, real estate for one, when you know full well that your going to have people sleeping in their cars for that property. But most of us are not that lucky, we have to hunt, find, seek, outsmart, and juggle being part of the caring-sharing society, all accomplished with one eye on enhancing our reputation and protecting our image and getting the order.

I've tried being hard, or a hardened professional, and somehow it doesn't work for me, Can I admit something, I have been known to tell clients that I cannot sell, that I would be hopeless at selling them something, and if they want a sales rep then not to choose me. I've also walked out leaving them dumbfounded, you see my being HARD HEARTED is hidden in my behaviour, by walking out I'm saying goodbye timewaster, by saying this offer or property is NOT FOR YOU AND LEAVING it suits me fine, I've also closed many a sale by doing this, you see I'm bluffing, they're bluffing, its my job to call the shots, and I hope I am rarely wrong. So try being hard and hiding it from them. Have you ever seen a car kicker cry, regret losing a bargain, or pulling out a cheque book. They don't.

I think that everyone is entitled to their style of communication. I for one am not happy with the hard approach as portrayed by Bald Dog.

I would also take issue with his comment that he would never use the phone for the first call. This is something that I have tested and tested over the years and to be honest the results are inconculsive.

I have worked for clients in the telecoms, software and high technology sectors and have found that direct mail just doesnt cut it, but a well thought out telephone approach often does get the desired result.

We are working on a project at the moment, here in the USA and we are again testing the email first then call and the simpler call only approach. The results, yet again are mixed.

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Originally Posted by Julian

I think that everyone is entitled to their style of communication.

Totally agree. The methods we use highly depends on what we are good at.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julian

I for one am not happy with the hard approach as portrayed by Bald Dog.

The good part of this approach is that I don't fall into the trap of chasing new clients at the expense of current clients. One of the main reasons companies lose clients is negligence. People get so busy chasing new business that but the maintenance of current business on the back burner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julian

I would also take issue with his comment that he would never use the phone for the first call.

I don't say I'm right or wrong. All I'm saying that I've found it hard to reach true economic buyers on the phone for their calls are screened. Not because they are hard to reach per se. No. It's because I don't have the telephone skills of reaching them on the phone. I can't think fast enough on my feet when talking on the phone the first tie and have a strong accent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julian

have found that direct mail just doesnt cut it

Again, the problem is not with direct mail. I send out a one-page letter and some 40% come to my site to download some valuable free stuff and then get into my lead nurturing funnel. The problem is not with the methodology but how we apply it. And we can always improve on that.

Or as the hooker said to the shy sailor, "It's not the size that counts, boy, but how you actually use it."

Except...

I choose not to improve my telephone skills because I have no intention to ever use except with paying clients. My first contact to signed contract process is 90% automated and 9% email. There is 1% on the phone but by then prospects are seriously committed. That's why I ask for the commitment cheque for the first meeting.

But also realise that we all have our own unique idiosyncrasies and we design our unique processes around them.

But I've also found that this hard-arse prospecting process creates truly committed clients, and fellow forum member, Jacques Werth, has taught me a lot about this.

Also, I think our processes are built on our personal values. I value spending time with friends, hiking and skydiving. I don't know why I should interrupt a chat with a friend when a prospect calls me. In that case, most people interrupt a personal conversation to answer a call from a stranger. I don't get that.

This is something interesting from Sales and Marketing Management Magazine

Survey among salespeople and sales managers

49% say their professions contributed to marital problem

44% say their professions contributed to for their failed relationships with colleagues and friends

18% say their professions preventing them from finding a spouse

72% say their professions prevent them from exercising.

69% say their professions undermined their health problems, like weight gain.

I don't say I'm doing the right thing. Far from it. I'm not that smart, and with age I'm just getting more and more senile (watch out! You'll see!). But if conventional sales wisdom creates these nasty statistics, maybe I can avoid falling into the same trap.

Cheers
PS: And thanks for everyone for the great debates. I think we all are learning here.

Hey, dont put yourself down. Who am i (or anyone else) to judge how smart you are!

My point is that Cold Calling works but it takes effort. Other methods work for others. Find what works for your style and business and improve and replicate it.

Although I would be the first to say that from time to time I have sufferred from cold call reluctance, I cannot get away from the fact that for my particular industry and business it works and works well.

Julian,

It's great to have understanding peers with diverse views. I think this is why this forum is such a great learning platform.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julian

Hey, dont put yourself down. Who am i (or anyone else) to judge how smart you are!

That's not serious. Luckily.

When we start throwing around words and phrases such as Hard, Hardarse, Hard Bitten, Hardened Professional as the only alternative to your way of selling, then we find ourselves in the land of fictional opposites.

You might want to read my article, "Most Salespeople are Professional Wimps." http://highprobsell.com/html/talking_to_prospects.html

It talks about why most salespeople are overly courteous with their prospects and how most prospects react to that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JacquesWerth

When we start throwing around words and phrases such as Hard, Hardarse, Hard Bitten, Hardened Professional as the only alternative to your way of selling, then we find ourselves in the land of fictional opposites.

You might want to read my article, "Most Salespeople are Professional Wimps." http://highprobsell.com/html/talking_to_prospects.html

It talks about why most salespeople are overly courteous with their prospects and how most prospects react to that.

I understand what you mean - you are not talking about being "hard" as in "rude" but you mean direct and forthright. Which is fine!

(BTW: you may want to update the title of the link at the bottom of your article :

Meet and Exceed Your Sales Targets
Enroll NOW to Jump-Start Your '05 Revenues erm;

Erm, we are in 07, bit late for 05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julian

I understand what you mean - you are not talking about being "hard" as in "rude" but you mean direct and forthright. Which is fine!

(BTW: you may want to update the title of the link at the bottom of your article :

Meet and Exceed Your Sales Targets
Enroll NOW to Jump-Start Your '05 Revenues erm;

Erm, we are in 07, bit late for 05

Thanks for the heads-up.
However, I'll check with our Web- Master. Maybe she figures that most salespeople are still working on their '05 sales plan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JacquesWerth

Thanks for the heads-up.
However, I'll check with our Web- Master. Maybe she figures that most salespeople are still working on their '05 sales plan.

Yeah aint that the truth...

Quote:

Originally Posted by JacquesWerth

"Most Salespeople are Professional Wimps."

Great article, Jacques. And how true. Is it caused by the fact that salespeople are expected to close each and every deal? The other day I talked to a guy, the VP of something in a local technology company, and he said, "We tolerate any client for money." I remember how badly I was beaten up when I went back to the office and told the sales manager, "This prospect I've just met wasn't appropriate for us." Then he said, "Son, anyone with money is appropriate for us."

Brian Carroll in his book, Lead Generation for the Complex Sales, also mentions that most companies don't have "Ideal Client" profile. Anyone with money is good.

When salespeople get beaten up for not meeting quota, they do anything to close the deal even if it means to be less than a straightshooter. I believe this is a huge mistake.

We have to differentiate between harsh language and tough questions. Tough questions lead to great solutions.

Is the doctor harsh in asking, "madam, you have aids. Your husband doesn't. Who have you slept with in the last 6 months because I have to examine them."

Is this harsh or helpful. I think it's helpful. And if the prospect is not willing to answer the tough questions, we can't fulfil the prospect's buying criteria - as Jacques calls it in High Probability Selling - and there is no deal. We re called in because we're the experts. Then what gives the right to a layperson to question our diagnosis process? In that case, we'd better walk.

Thoughts?

Hiring on cold callers for your business

Cold Calling Forum