The ancient art of the cold call

[mrarcher]

So i've read a lot on this site about copyrighting. A very useful skill for sales especially online. But out of interest and for fun who else still picks up the phone and sings for their product? And what learning resources have you used? For me cold calling is a love of mine and I actually pick ventures where I can use it. For me my best resources have been from my days as a stockbroker I learned a lot from the guy stood at the desk next to me. A remarkable salesman whose words were like butter over the phone and (love him or hate him) I picked up a lot from Jordan Belforts sales system. What are your views? A useful skill or a dead practice?

 

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[eekern]

I have jumped into the cold call rabbit hole, the best sources I have found is practice.

I actually did a lot worse after Jordan Belforts Straight line system, because my tonality become f*cked up and not congruent. I get best response to have a normal tonality in the pitch, not going "up" at the end.

Anyways, cardoneu.com will add their cold call section this week, so jump on aboard

 

[marklov]

It's my go to method and is very much still alive.

Many persons shy away from it though......because you actually have to
talk with people.

 

[Shades]

People hate cold calling more and more with each generation. I hate it. I dont want people to hate my company from the jump. Doesn't have anything to do with fear of calling. To me it's more thinking that interrupting peoples lives trying to sell them something they never heard of over the phone is counter productive. Just think we live in a time now where not only is cold calling more annoying then ever to people, but there are just better ways.

 

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[Kung Fu Steve]

People hate cold calling more and more with each generation. I hate it.

Couple of thoughts:

1. We all hate being bothered... but if it's something relevant and important to us, it's not a bother. My guess is you hate cold calls that want to "lower your interest rate" or "refinance your home" or "please take a moment for starving children in detroit" -- but if it was like... stripper r' us calling you I'm sure you'd be all for it.

Actually the best cold-callers I know of are windshield/glass repair people. Every time they called it was "Hey, this is so-and-so from abc glass. Just wanted to call real quick and see if anyone had any cracks or dings in your windshield or maybe in your storefront there."

Literally every time whoever took the phone call would shout throughout the office "hey! any of you have a crack in your windshield? no? okay."

And the guy or girl would say "Oh no worries, I'll check back in a couple of months, thanks!"

Thanks!

Turned out one time one of us did have a windshield crack and they came and repaired it while we were working, handled the insurance and everything. Those were great cold calls.

I dont want people to hate my company from the jump. Doesn't have anything to do with fear of calling. To me it's more thinking that interrupting peoples lives trying to sell them something they never heard of over the phone is counter productive.

This is fear.

Just think we live in a time now where not only is cold calling more annoying then ever to people, but there are just better ways.

Limiting belief. And no there isn't a better way (for most things). That's why it still happens. If you come up with something better than me being able to get a direct line (in real time) with a decision maker and have a conversation with him -- I'd sure like to know it... oh well I guess in-person is better.

I've posted this like 800 times in the past couple weeks here on the forum but it seems like no one is watching it... I'll post it one more time:

 

[mrarcher]

There are a few people who are glad to talk to you and want to hear what you have to say. Depends who and when you call i suppose. My latest venture involves cold calling businesses and people seem to be quite receptive. I think what keeps people on the phone (for me anyway) is i have quite a strong doric accent people seem to listen as i dont sound like your "typical salesman". Well people apart from other scottish people that is haha. Funny the things that keep people on the phone as long as you make sure they want to speak to you that is.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

What are your views? A useful skill or a dead practice?

Exceptionally useful!
Emails are deleted in a second, while on the phone people tend to be more polite and listen to what you have to say.

Actually the best cold-callers I know of are windshield/glass repair people. Every time they called it was "Hey, this is so-and-so from abc glass. Just wanted to call real quick and see if anyone had any cracks or dings in your windshield or maybe in your storefront there."

Literally every time whoever took the phone call would shout throughout the office "hey! any of you have a crack in your windshield? no? okay."

And the guy or girl would say "Oh no worries, I'll check back in a couple of months, thanks!"

And that's the "trick". Being helpful, not annoying.

 

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[mrarcher]

And that's the "trick". Being helpful, not annoying.

Absolutely there is no better feeling than getting off the phone you made a sale and you feel like a winner. And the customer has been assisted in some way and is happy to have been called.

 

[marklov]

If you look at from what is hardest to easiest for a business owner to get rid off in a general sense.

>Cold Walk in
>Physical mail
>Cold Call
>Email

Most owners gloss over their inbox to find anything related
to sales/orders/bills then carpet bomb everything else to the the thrash bin.

If value is being offered, there is no reason a person should feel
they are interrupting someones day. I can count on one hand the amount of rude persons
I have encountered in all my cold calling.

Sometimes it's just not the right time to call.

Their supplier might have F*cked up.
Employee just cost them an lucrative account.
Everyone hates Monday mornings....and on and on

The truth of cold calling is regardless of above....

If you dial enough and want sales you will make them.

If you dial enough and want appointments you will get them.

 

[Dezzamondo]

I'm just getting started in cold calling... and boy do I suck at it right now! Working on it though...

In addition to practice, what are your biggest tips to improving a newbie's techniques the fastest?

Currently watching the video Steve posted

 

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[mrarcher]

I'm just getting started in cold calling... and boy do I suck at it right now! Working on it though...

In addition to practice, what are your biggest tips to improving a newbie's techniques the fastest?

Currently watching the video Steve posted

I just read your thread about your cold calling script. I see you've used Jordan Belforts straight line as a basis. As I said I found it helpful whereas @eekern did not. Just try to make sure it doesn’t sound like you’re reading a script as its a put off. Also keep the mentality that you have something of value to offer the customer. You don’t want his money you want to help. Its amazing how your frame of mind changes how you sound on the phone. Back when i worked as a broker (wasn’t very long complications meant i couldn’t afford to stay in london) on one side of me stood sam. Magic salesman, oozed confidence and just had what can only be described as an aura about him. Closed left right and centre. The other side was a guy cant remember his name who clearly would rather be anywhere else. Barely got sales and the more rejection he got the more down he sounded and less sales. A vicious circle it really is about your mentality. Keep practising and you’ll learn what works with your clients. Good Luck!! And try reading Dale Carnegies book how to make friends and influence people. Its not really sales and quite old fashioned but really helpful.

 

[Tom.V]

I have what you would call a radio voice, and after spending a few months doing inside sales, it became second nature. Cold calling is essential in some businesses, B2B especially. To be honest, it is probably one of the most valuable skills I have and I'm glad I spent the time developing it. It also has significant carryover into writing copy for emails, ads, and landing pages. If you are closing big deals, you MUST be able to talk to people, figure out what they don't have, what they need, and how you and your offerings can capitalize upon their pain.

Really, cold calls are nothing more than warm intros after you break the ice and a suave deployment of questions that qualify your prospect. If it's not a match, find out if it will be in the future, if so follow up. If not, mark them off your list and remove from pipeline. If you want to be successful, know your ideal customer before you ever pick up the phone. Nothing more wasteful than calls to COMPLETELY unqualified prospects just to say you're taking action.

 

[jazb]

Relationship building > hard selling (over the phone).

You want to build a list of leads who you know will be repeat customers. you don't want to spend years constantly hustling for the next deal. its much better to take time building relationships with long term prospects. then over time, they will start contacting you for business. potentially for years.
b2b sales is an example of this. lots of niches out there.

use a 3 call program.

1st call. introduce yourself, tell them what you do. how you provide value to them/ how you make their life easier etc. ask if you can send them some info.

2nd call. ask if they read your info or looked into it. give them an appetizer, give them something at a break even cost. even for free if they have massive lifetime customer value.

3rd call. now you can start pushing for sales if you need to. might take more than 3.

limitless potential, can have clients netting you thousands of dollars just by taking the time to be their friend. amazing.


If you have fears about calling then this method works great. its not as pushy and your leads won't be pissed off.
it is expensive and takes a lot of time for that many calls though, but the rewards are superior.

 

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[LouieLouie]

A vicious circle it really is about your mentality

This is so true!

It totally is 100% a mental game.
But what if you don't have it?
Can it be gotten?

Back when i worked as a broker (wasn’t very long complications meant i couldn’t afford to stay in london) on one side of me stood sam. Magic salesman, oozed confidence and just had what can only be described as an aura about him. Closed left right and centre. The other side was a guy cant remember his name who clearly would rather be anywhere else. Barely got sales and the more rejection he got the more down he sounded and less sales.

So I want to know, like so many others, how can I be Sam, when currently I am the other guy.

You see I used to be just like Sam.
Not in actual outbound sales calls, but in business in general. (which of course includes sales)
I had a number of people tell me that "everything you touch turns into Gold".

Why would they say that? Because it did turn into gold. (Translate sales)

Why did it?

Because I believed I could do anything.
I mean; I really believed it! I knew it. I acted it. People felt it.
It was real, the results were real. I made Millions

Then I lost it all, all my money that is. (from millionaire to bankrupt)

I began to question myself.

Then everything I touched turned to mud.
Then I questioned myself more.... on and on.

If I could get back my original mentality, my belief. Money would once again come easy.(this loss of self confidence is by far my greatest loss I sustained, not mere money)

I still know that I can do anything.

But I don't Believe that I can do anything.

These are 2 very different things, Knowledge and belief.

I need to pickup the phone and call.....
But with out that belief, I will not be Sam, I will be the other guy.

How can I get what I lost? My belief in myself.

How can I get back the Sam?

So that when I pickup the phone that I spiral up, instead of down?

 

[LouieLouie]

Relationship building > hard selling (over the phone).

You want to build a list of leads who you know will be repeat customers. you don't want to spend years constantly hustling for the next deal. its much better to take time building relationships with long term prospects. then over time, they will start contacting you for business. potentially for years.
b2b sales is an example of this. lots of niches out there.

use a 3 call program.

1st call. introduce yourself, tell them what you do. how you provide value to them/ how you make their life easier etc. ask if you can send them some info.

2nd call. ask if they read your info or looked into it. give them an appetizer, give them something at a break even cost. even for free if they have massive lifetime customer value.

3rd call. now you can start pushing for sales if you need to. might take more than 3.

limitless potential, can have clients netting you thousands of dollars just by taking the time to be their friend. amazing.


If you have fears about calling then this method works great. its not as pushy and your leads won't be pissed off.
it is expensive and takes a lot of time for that many calls though, but the rewards are superior.

I like this, Ill give this a try

 

[mrarcher]

This is so true!

It totally is 100% a mental game.
But what if you don't have it?
Can it be gotten?




So I want to know, like so many others, how can I be Sam, when currently I am the other guy.

You see I used to be just like Sam.
Not in actual outbound sales calls, but in business in general. (which of course includes sales)
I had a number of people tell me that "everything you touch turns into Gold".

Why would they say that? Because it did turn into gold. (Translate sales)

Why did it?

Because I believed I could do anything.
I mean; I really believed it! I knew it. I acted it. People felt it.
It was real, the results were real. I made Millions

Then I lost it all, all my money that is. (from millionaire to bankrupt)

I began to question myself.

Then everything I touched turned to mud.
Then I questioned myself more.... on and on.

If I could get back my original mentality, my belief. Money would once again come easy.(this loss of self confidence is by far my greatest loss I sustained, not mere money)

I still know that I can do anything.

But I don't Believe that I can do anything.

These are 2 very different things, Knowledge and belief.

I need to pickup the phone and call.....
But with out that belief, I will not be Sam, I will be the other guy.

How can I get what I lost? My belief in myself.

How can I get back the Sam?

So that when I pickup the phone that I spiral up, instead of down?

Well Sam had a bat next to his chair and held it when on the phone, said it made him feel powerful. I kept my Jaguar keys and my armani watch on the desk to keep in my mind what I had already accomplished (I know those things arent much but to me they were) and remind myself what i am capable of. Find an object that makes you feel successful, powerful or whatever and keep it near the phone. I swear by it.

 

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[LouieLouie]

Well Sam had a bat next to his chair and held it when on the phone, said it made him feel powerful. I kept my Jaguar keys and my armani watch on the desk to keep in my mind what I had already accomplished (I know those things arent much but to me they were) and remind myself what i am capable of. Find an object that makes you feel successful, powerful or whatever and keep it near the phone. I swear by it.

Thanks Ill give that a try too!
Ill use any advice I can get.
I got a list of 8k prospects that I need to be dialing everyday. It's the only thing of importance in my stage..

 

[LouieLouie]

The other thing I would love to try, is find someone successful in calling and sit in and observe.

I haven't been able to find someone local like that.

Any suggestions...

 

[mrarcher]

The other thing I would love to try, is find someone successful in calling and sit in and observe.

I haven't been able to find someone local like that.

Any suggestions...

If you have the time and dont know anyone, take up a job in telesales and watch your co workers. Otherwise youtube videos.

 

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[Shades]

Well looks like it still works for quite a few of you. I suppose depending on your business it may be more important then in others. I'll have to stay away from those businesses. The thought of sitting on the phone for a a couple percent conversion rate all day just sounds....unappealing to me. Certain B2B I guess I get it. Id rather have something product centered. You are gonna get a better return on your time with Google, Facebook, Instagram marketing. And you don't even have to practice sleazy used car salesman techniques to use on the phone!

If im going "old school" id rather do Direct Mail. Then maybe a follow up call after that. But I guess the point is whatever works the best for you and your business. All kinds of ways to accomplish the task.

 

[Buickestate]

I might be old school, but to me cold calling is going door to door, and over the phone is more like boiler room sales.
I've done both, I prefer going door to door.

When I was in boarding school in grades 9-10 I discovered that if I joined Junior Achievement I was allowed off school grounds on JA nights. I soon discovered that I had a knack for selling door to door, and taking orders . The first year I was there the team I was on made small profit, that was more than the other teams. the secound year we actually made a substantial profit. We excelled at marketing our product door to door.

In the mid 80's I use to sell vacuums, later frozen meat and seafood door to door, I sold a lot of products, and got a lot of repeat customers. It's not easy work. some days if you aren't in the right frame of mind the rejections can get to you.

It's all in how you present yourself, how quickly you can read your prospect, how well you know your product, and how prepared you are.

I find that going door to door and being face to face with a prospect that I close about 85-90% of the time. Still now when I meet face to face with customers I still have the same average. That 10-15% are prospects that I don't trust, or can't afford my services and products, some you can't please.

I have a much harder time doing sales over the phone, I have a harder time reading my prospect, there isn't any body language to help me read them, besides I have an uninteresting monotone voice, a radio voice would help. I only use the phone to get appointments to meet them face to face.

 

[Kung Fu Steve]

Before I post up another I'd like to preface this one a bit.

Grant's personality rubs me the wrong way but he is freaking good at what he does -- and I really respect that.

Couple of things I take out of this video:

1. He's adamant about closing the deal when he gets them on the phone. I've learned it's damn near impossible to get the right person on the phone and once you do there's no messing around I want either a yes or a no. If it's a no I can move on. If it's a yes, I can celebrate and service them. If it's a MAYBE I have to spend the next couple of weeks playing one-way-phone-tag trying to get them to finally settle down and listen to what I have to say.

2. The discipline of picking up the phone and dialing non-stop has been tricky. There are days I hit over 100, others I only hit 20-30. To try and hit 400 calls per day? You'd be doing damn well at that point.

3. The confidence he has on the phone is overwhelming. I'm willing to bet that's the majority of why people just do what he says. When two people meet, whoever is more certain is the one that sells -- the other buys.

Without further ado here's another video to watch:

P.S. I think it repeats

 

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