Cold calling and No Soliciting signs

What is the recommended course of action when you're cold calling and you come across a No Soliciting sign?

Depends.....

My first sales job was as a financial advisor. The job involved wandering door to door... business to business.... prospecting for new clients. On one day I came to the State Office of a Fraternal Organization. On the door was posted a No Soliciting sign. I went in because I was curious about how the organization differed from the Fraternal organization I belonged to.

In the process of learning about the organization, I noticed a bunch of investment books on the shelf. I started to ask questions about the books and their use.

After about an hour of chatting, I walked out with over $300,000 to invest on behalf of the organization.

In my experience, if you feel sales is something you DO TO people rather than DO FOR people, you should just walk past places posted with No Soliciting signs. Otherwise, stop in and get to know some folks. You never know how it will turn out.

Jerry

I find that soliciting and asking questions are two different actions. I've been in food sales and almost every restaurant has a "No Soliciting" sign on the door, I find this to imply they don't want traveling briefcase-watch salesmen selling their customers watches at the table.

I would ask to speak to the manager or owner and ask them a question: May I make an appointment to discuss potential foodcost savings with my company? atempting to sell right out of the chute as opposed to having an appointment.

I am currently in the Uniform and linnen industry. I find No Soliciting signs on every major company I cold call on. Again I simply ask for the Manager that handles their needs and make an appointment.

Oh man, Bravo!

That's one way to look at it and by those rules a true sales pro has nothing to worry about from no soliciting signs.

Occasionally I run into a "No Agents" sign which is about the same as "No Soliciting". I still cold call using the same script with the exception that I add, "I saw your sign and the part about no agents...." and then go right into my original script (Thank You Jerry Bresser for the script!)