Cold Calling works big time.

AZBroker

pmccord

Congratulations on your impressive success.

Although there are far more effective ways to find prospects than cold calling, I do encourage people who are just learning those new skills to continue doing what they are doing until they not only have learned their new skills, but those new methods are producing the business that allows them to phase out their old methods. I also encourage them to continue perfecting their current marketing methods until they can phase them out.

Most often, those methods are either cold calling or direct mail. One is time inefficient, the other money inefficient. But, like you, I think having the skills necessary to make a living doing those is imperative--until they learn and implement more effective methods and those methods have been developed to the point they can work themselves out of the more inefficient methods.

In addition, although I said I've met very few top producers who cold call, but I've met a couple of top producers who do it, who love it, and who will never do anything but cold call. They have a staff that works for them as sales assistants and these guys won't allow them to do anything but cold call. They don't have a problem admitting there are more efficient ways to do buisness, but cold calling is what works for them and what they're comfortable doing--and more importantly, they enjoy it.

__________________
Paul McCord
Best-selling author, Speaker, Sales Trainer, Management Consultant
Power Selling

pmccord

The reference to dramatic was the phraseology of "I challenge." A simple request would have worked. I don't know if anyone else would be willing, but I certainly am. I don't feel the least bit intimidated, as the "I challenge" would imply someone who thought cold calling was dying might feel.

I have nothing against people cold calling--I just think the evidence--other than anecdotal--supports my position. In addition, I think it doesn't make a great deal of sense to engage in the marketing method most prospects hate more than any other.

I think when trying to communciate with a prospect it makes far more sense to find ways they want to be communicated with rather than methods they don't want.

AZBroker

My position is that cold calling works (vs. cold calling doesn't work). On any given day tens of thousands of salespeople, if not more, across this planet pick up the phone or knock on a door and earn a living. Cold calling works... big time.

pmccord

Yes, they make a living, at least some of them, but they don't become top producers. If all they want is a living of some kind, then that's fine. If they want to become top producers, they need more effective methods.

But then again, it doesn't make sense to try to communicate to a prospect in a manner they don't want.

Sure, it works some of the time. Many squeak out a living, a few make lots of money, most die on the vine and end up out of sales. I'm sorry, but I just can't see that as a big time winner.

AZBroker

I am not saying that cold calling is the most effective prospecting method for every situation (big time winner). I am saying that cold calling works... a properly trained and motivated salesperson can hit the phones or the street and convert (vs. cold calling doesn't work).

If we can agree that cold calling works then we can discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cold calling opposed to other prospecting/lead generation methods.

pmccord

I don't mean to sound like I'm quibbling, but if you mean someone can on occasion get a sale from cold calling, I've never said they couldn't. Can someone actually make a living cold calling? Certainly. For most, it isn't much of a living. But yes, many can and do eek out a living. If that's what you mean, then we can agree.

If you mean it's effective, no, I can't agree. When you have a method that results in significantly more than 50% job failure rate, I can't agree that's working.

AZBroker

I believe a properly trained and motivated salesperson can do better than get a sale on occasion from cold calling and I'm not judging the validity of the method by the failure rate of those who fail to execute it properly.

Lance_Best

Different types of sales demand and react to different methods. I think your statements are some what blanketed.

There are many mortgage brokers who are making their living (comfortably) and rely almost completely on cold calling.

They are out working TARGETED leads of people who need to Refinance out of BAD mortgages, or credit situations.

I hope people who are new to sales don't hear these negative comments and believe the hype.

Lance

__________________
Lance Best (Data Consultant)
Professional Lists Inc.
www.professional-lists.com

Joe Closer

Why would you call that a cold call?

From what I read in your post, that lead generation venue has already sorted "Need", and there exists some element of the qualification process that has taken place.

If you pick up the phone and respond to that information, I don't think that is entirely cold.

If, on the other hand, you think that cold calling is simply making an unsolicited call to a stranger, then your perspective is different than mine.