In every sales training program I present, there are one or two people who swear they love, love, love cold calling. Those people aren’t normal. Sorry. Just sayin…
No one likes being rejected. No one likes being told, no, no, no all day long. No one likes being ignored, hung up, or yelled at. Except abnormal people (see above).
The thing is some people are successful at cold calling. They don’t spend their day being rejected, hearing no, or being ignored. Their voice messages are returned, their emails get response and yes, they are, despite what we’d like to think, normal.
What do they do? Here is one of the most important things all successful cold callers do:
They find REAL prospects:
Ready to buy
Eager for the outcome your product/service/idea offers
At this time, interested
Likely to buy a product or service like yours
Don’t confuse qualified prosects with REAL ones. Here is a quote from How to Say It To Sell It:
“A qualified prospect theoretically could purchase your product. If you sell mortgage services for apartment building financing, a qualified prospect is anyone owns a home or ever plans to own a home. A REAL propsect, however, is a homeowner who either:
•Needs money for other things and start gambling with the https://www.tjili.dk/laer-dig-reglerne-i-casino-foer-du-kaster-dig-ud-i-det/ games is an option to get that money
•Wants to save money by reducing interest payments through the better rate you offer, or
•Is actively planning to move into a new home and will need a morgage
If you try to sell your mortgage services to a homeowner (qualified buyer) who has an interest rate lower than what you offer, or has no desire to get money from her home, you might as well just hit your head against the wall..
If you call someone from a list you compiled from a trade show, but really, people just stopped by the booth because you had awesome give-aways, rather than a need for your product, service or idea, of course, you’re going to get rejected. Worse than that, you might even begin to think it’s because you can’t sell. After all, you’re calling from a qualified list. Theortetically, that is.
How do you find REAL prospects? First, you need to know what that is. Make a list of the traits your current best clients have in common. Then, make a list of the traits the client base you’d like to expand to/appeal to might have. (A good way to do this is look at your best competitor’s client base… sneaky but effective.) Learn how is REAL and who is simply qualified.
Next, look over the lists you have. Do the prospects on your list have the same traits as your best clients? If you know they need what you have (oh, you may want to make a list of the benefits you offer to those best clients too… not the features!.. how they benefit from their relationship with you, your service, your product), it makes getting on the phone so much easier, profitable and productive.
And keep in mind what my brother-by-another-mother, Warren Greshes, said in his book, The Best Damn Sales Book Ever, “Successful salespeople see themselves successful. They create visions.”
Those folks who like cold calling? Maybe they’re the normal ones after all.
Respond with your ideas about how you make cold calling productive.
Power Sales Writing