A Question on Cold Calls and Idea Extraction (Dane Maxwell Foundation)

[TheDillon__]

<div class="bbWrapper">Hey all!<br /> <br /> So I&#039;ve done some research, picked a market I would like to target, and I&#039;m calling up people and getting them on the phone. This isn&#039;t the hard part.<br /> <br /> But once I get them on the phone, it feels like there&#039;s no meat to the conversation and I never progress!<br /> <br /> The key questions I usually pose are:<br /> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What are some tasks you have to do on a regular basis that are taking up the most time?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What problems are costing your business the most money?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What are some repetitive &quot;must-do&quot; tasks that you face on a regular basis.</li> </ul>I&#039;ll get lot of First-Level answers like <i>I want more sales, </i>or<i> I want less overhead!<br /> </i><br /> I don&#039;t know how to take the person I&#039;m calling and dig for a problem that&#039;s really biting at them, which I could solve through some form of software. How do you guys dig deeper into their problems, without feeling like you&#039;re taking up too much of their time?</div>

 

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[Trud09]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 39259" data-quote="TheDillon__" data-source="post: 545788" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=545788" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-545788">TheDillon__ said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Hey all!<br /> <br /> So I&#039;ve done some research, picked a market I would like to target, and I&#039;m calling up people and getting them on the phone. This isn&#039;t the hard part.<br /> <br /> But once I get them on the phone, it feels like there&#039;s no meat to the conversation and I never progress!<br /> <br /> The key questions I usually pose are:<br /> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What are some tasks you have to do on a regular basis that are taking up the most time?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What problems are costing your business the most money?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What are some repetitive &quot;must-do&quot; tasks that you face on a regular basis.</li> </ul>I&#039;ll get lot of First-Level answers like <i>I want more sales, </i>or<i> I want less overhead!<br /> </i><br /> I don&#039;t know how to take the person I&#039;m calling and dig for a problem that&#039;s really biting at them, which I could solve through some form of software. How do you guys dig deeper into their problems, without feeling like you&#039;re taking up too much of their time? </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> Although I can&#039;t speak from first hand experience, I will still try to help. Jordan Belfort is a great guy to look up for how to sell over the phone.<br /> <br /> How much sales experience do you have?<br /> Do you have a defined goal for the phone conversation? Set an in person appointment? Speak with them and try to get the sale over the phone?<br /> This will guide what you should be doing and your script (it is very important to use a script)<br /> Try asking the questions differently in either the words you use or the tone. If they sound rushed and don&#039;t want to speak there ask when is a better time for them to speak. People always have time for the things they value, but it might not be right when you call. You have to give them a reason to want to talk to you very quickly.<br /> <br /> Hopefully that helps.</div>

 

[458]

<div class="bbWrapper">Most people on here don&#039;t run cold calling rooms on a day to day basis but if you&#039;d like, post your script and I&#039;ll tell you where your going wrong. In a dialer situation you need a constant flow of leads followed by a rock solid script. You need a bullet proof hook and then a solid middle and close. Not much else I can say without seeing the script. Cheers</div>

 

[Ubermensch]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 39259" data-quote="TheDillon__" data-source="post: 545788" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=545788" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-545788">TheDillon__ said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Hey all!<br /> <br /> So I&#039;ve done some research, picked a market I would like to target, and I&#039;m calling up people and getting them on the phone. This isn&#039;t the hard part.<br /> <br /> But once I get them on the phone, it feels like there&#039;s no meat to the conversation and I never progress!<br /> <br /> The key questions I usually pose are:<br /> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What are some tasks you have to do on a regular basis that are taking up the most time?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What problems are costing your business the most money?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What are some repetitive &quot;must-do&quot; tasks that you face on a regular basis.</li> </ul>I&#039;ll get lot of First-Level answers like <i>I want more sales, </i>or<i> I want less overhead!<br /> </i><br /> I don&#039;t know how to take the person I&#039;m calling and dig for a problem that&#039;s really biting at them, which I could solve through some form of software. How do you guys dig deeper into their problems, without feeling like you&#039;re taking up too much of their time? </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> How can anyone help you sell something, if we don&#039;t know what you&#039;re selling?<br /> <br /> If a decision-maker or business owner told me that he wants &quot;more leads&quot; or &quot;less overhead&quot; - <b>GREAT!</b> - the services and products I offer help with all of that.<br /> <br /> Perhaps what you&#039;re selling has little-to-no value, so it&#039;s hard for you to get to the next step.<br /> <br /> <blockquote data-attributes="member: 40675" data-quote="Trud09" data-source="post: 545799" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=545799" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-545799">Trud09 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Although I can&#039;t speak from first hand experience, I will still try to help. Jordan Belfort is a great guy to look up for how to sell over the phone.<br /> <br /> How much sales experience do you have?<br /> Do you have a defined goal for the phone conversation? Set an in person appointment? Speak with them and try to get the sale over the phone?<br /> This will guide what you should be doing and your script (it is very important to use a script)<br /> Try asking the questions differently in either the words you use or the tone. If they sound rushed and don&#039;t want to speak there ask when is a better time for them to speak. People always have time for the things they value, but it might not be right when you call. You have to give them a reason to want to talk to you very quickly.<br /> <br /> Hopefully that helps. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> Sales experience here is irrelevant, except that an experienced salesperson should know the steps of the sale intuitively without having to break it down. <br /> <br /> Then again, part of being the master means paying attention and practicing the fundamentals - always!<br /> <br /> Defining a goal for the conversation is a must. If it&#039;s a first call on the energy sale, your goal is to get the client to agree to sign an LOA (letter of authorization). This allows you to come back - obtain pricing from suppliers - and then present the new pricing to the client. The new energy price will help with the client&#039;s overhead.</div>

 

[Thiago Machado]

<div class="bbWrapper">Had this on my computer.<br /> <br /> Don&#039;t remember the exact source I got it from. <br /> <br /> But this should help you out.</div>

 

[GuestUser450]

<div class="bbWrapper">Cold calling for idea extraction is like getting a call from a stranger saying, &quot;Hi, I&#039;m Dillon, enough about me, tell me about yourself...&quot; <br /> <br /> An alternative:<br /> Don&#039;t cold call. Reach out to them on linkedin and offer them their hourly fee for a short call to get their advice on your product.<br /> Let them know they&#039;re your target customer and you&#039;d value their expertise.<br /> On the phone, ask them for feedback on an idea you have, and if they&#039;re not interested, <i>then</i> dive into what their issues are.</div>

 

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[CostChisel]

<div class="bbWrapper">Cold Calling is a great tool... but it should be targeted. I do a fair bit of cold calling and it is always to a researched and targeted account. I spend time first to compile a list of my target market then find out who the decision maker is (linkedIn, Data.com, ZoomInfo, etc). I use a script that is modified for the target market. Also, your cold call should have a purpose; my cold call&#039;s purpose is not to sell them over the phone but to set a meeting, an appointment. Face to Face is my approach.<br /> <br /> Some of the questions you are asking are hard to get answers to over the phone. After all you are just a stranger to the prospect at this time.<br /> <br /> Basic script;<br /> <br /> <i>Hi this is John with SMC Roofing. The reason for my call is to schedule a visit with you because I have many customers in the same industry as you that find my approach to roofing and paving very helpful. To be sure I’m not wasting your time let me ask you?<br /> <br /> - Do you have a preventative maintenance plan for your building?<br /> - If I could save you time, money and stress on your next project would you give me 10 minutes of your time?<br /> <br /> Again, I thought the best place to start would be is to schedule a short visit to learn about your facility maintenance needs and goals. How is next week for you? <br /> <br /> That’s great…. Would there be any reason you wouldn’t be able to keep this appointment? Awesome, I&#039;ll see you then.<br /> </i><br /> <u>Books you could look at:</u><br /> Grant Cardone - Sell or be Sold<br /> Jeb Blount - Fanatical Prospecting<br /> Mike Weinberg - New Sales Simplified<br /> Alan Weiss - The Consulting Bible</div>

 

[LouieLouie]

<div class="bbWrapper">From your post I am going to assume you are following Dane Maxwell and the foundation.<br /> <br /> First I will tell you this is extremely difficult however not impossible.<br /> <br /> I&#039;m going to tell you why 95%, or whatever the number is, of Dane&#039;s students fail.<br /> Then if your smart maybe you can figure it out.<br /> <br /> <br /> What makes it difficult is when you call a business owner and want to &quot;dig&quot; for problems, you are violating his core character trait in three ways.<br /> <br /> All small businesses owners are independent. <br /> <br /> If they weren&#039;t they would be employees.<br /> <br /> Here are the three ways you violate their independence by what you are attempting.<br /> <br /> <div style="margin-left: 20px"><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">It&#039;s <b><u>their</u> </b>business, so you as a stranger have no right digging around. He is thinking &quot;what&#039;s this guy nosey or what? Digging around in <b> MY </b>business &quot;</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">You are asking them for something very valuable to them, a peak inside <b>THEIR BABEY. </b>You haven&#039;t helped them in anyway, they don&#039;t even know you. Why would they?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">And finally they are very busy, why would they want to waist their time with you?</li> </ol><br /> Ok how do I know these three objections? Because I&#039;m your target market. I&#039;ve been a small business owner all my life.<br /> <br /> I too got intrigued with this approach and even tried it.<br /> <br /> Can it work? <br /> <br /> Sure anything is possible.<br /> <br /> What are your odds. Probably less then 1 in 1000 based on the foundation statistics. ( I&#039;m just guessing)<br /> <br /> Ok so you still want to try. <br /> <br /> Well then here is a little secret, I&#039;ll let you in on.<br /> <br /> Study what Dane actually did, not what he teaches.<br /> <br /> If my memory serves me correctly his first customer in paperless pipeline was a relative.<br /> <br /> To the point.<br /> <br /> If your a stranger it <b>WILL NOT </b>work guaranteed!!<br /> <br /> The only question then is, how can you go from stranger to trusted friend.<br /> ( Only the top 1% sales guys can pull that off on a single cold call)<br /> <br /> Just my insight for whatever it&#039;s worth, and good luck! Hope you can pull it off!<br /> <br /> PS: I heard once 90% of all statics are pulled out of thin air, well I beat that on this post, 100% were! LOL I still hope I got my point across<br /> <br />&#8203;</div></div>

 

[Joey El]

<div class="bbWrapper">Thanks TT, CC and LL.<br /> <br /> Great answers to a great question in your thread OP! <br /> <br /> The answer/real question and statistic above (Only the top 1%...) is key here.<br /> <br /> I know from experience on both sides of this call, that &quot;sales&quot; as such doesn&#039;t deliver great results. To paraphrase the Uber, who knows what you&#039;re selling.<br /> <br /> However, I have achieved (unintentionally at first) this level of rapport and openness on many cold calls in the saturated/spammy SEO industry.<br /> <br /> I later found Sharon Drew Morgan&#039;s books detailing the mindset I&#039;d slipped into.<br /> It&#039;s harder than any sales methodology out there but with perseverance it works and matches MJ&#039;s and this forum&#039;s add value attitude.<br /> <br /> Good luck.</div>

 

[samuraijack]

<div class="bbWrapper">Theres a thread here by <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/5905/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="5905" data-username="@MTF">@MTF</a> who followed this method and eventually sold his product. Go check it out, itll be useful to you.</div>

 

[Mr4213]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 39259" data-quote="TheDillon__" data-source="post: 545788" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=545788" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-545788">TheDillon__ said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Hey all!<br /> <br /> So I&#039;ve done some research, picked a market I would like to target, and I&#039;m calling up people and getting them on the phone. This isn&#039;t the hard part.<br /> <br /> But once I get them on the phone, it feels like there&#039;s no meat to the conversation and I never progress!<br /> <br /> The key questions I usually pose are:<br /> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What are some tasks you have to do on a regular basis that are taking up the most time?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What problems are costing your business the most money?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What are some repetitive &quot;must-do&quot; tasks that you face on a regular basis.</li> </ul>I&#039;ll get lot of First-Level answers like <i>I want more sales, </i>or<i> I want less overhead!<br /> </i><br /> I don&#039;t know how to take the person I&#039;m calling and dig for a problem that&#039;s really biting at them, which I could solve through some form of software. How do you guys dig deeper into their problems, without feeling like you&#039;re taking up too much of their time? </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> I do cold calls and door knocks on a daily basis, I like to think I do pretty well with it. Here is what I can offer<br /> <br /> I never picked a specific market. I do not use scripts. I use the same short intro every time. &quot;Hey my name is ----- I&#039;m with ---- and I noticed ----&quot; Then it all goes off the top of my head.<br /> <br /> Here is a example of something I did today that you might be able to copy.<br /> <br /> I cold called up a local business here in town. I was trying to sell product A. Well, they did not need product A. The manager complained about the parking lot though. It was a big F*cking parking lot that needed repainting and all kinds of work. <br /> <br /> I do not know shit about any of that. So what did I do?<br /> <br /> Called up all the local parking lot painters and found the best one. I made sure the one I used was good quality, and would give the manager the best price. <br /> <br /> The job was $20k+. I sold the lead to the painter for a nice little commission fee and got the manager a good quality painter/repairer at the best possible price. <br /> <br /> All of the top of my head, it took less than 30 minutes.<br /> <br /> Sometimes you just need to be creative. <br /> <br /> Hopefully you can make the meetup, I look forward to it.</div>

 

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[Mr4213]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 39259" data-quote="TheDillon__" data-source="post: 545788" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=545788" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-545788">TheDillon__ said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I&#039;ll get lot of First-Level answers like <i>I want more sales, </i>or<i> I want less overhead!</i> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> <i><br /> Then go find leads and sell them to him/her? If they need sales bad enough they will pay a premium for good lead generation. Depending on the industry you can make a decent income from that alone. </i><br /> <br /> Them: &quot;I&#039;ve been having a terrible time with sales, its hurting business&quot;<br /> <br /> Me: &quot;What if I said I could generate X amount of sales a day for you?&quot;<br /> <br /> Them: &quot;That sounds good, but I cant afford to hire on another sales person right now&quot;<br /> <br /> Me: &quot;Of course! I was talking about just a commission only position. I just want XXX commission for every sale. I would only get paid when you make money...yada....&quot;<br /> <br /> Them: &quot;We might be able to work something out, can you give me some more details?...yada...&quot;<br /> <br /> Me: &quot;yada...yada&quot;<br /> <br /> You can either go hustle and close sales yourself and make a good check (depending on the industry) and also get experience (have to start somewhere)<br /> <br /> OR<br /> <br /> You could already have a automated system in place to generate leads for you before you even call the company and get an agreement. If you know on average you generate 20 automated leads a month you can say &quot;I want this much commission and for every 20 leads a month I generate I want this much bonus&quot; and If you automatically generate them fast enough and you can close sales then you could make good money. One idea would be to have strategic connections that come across these types of people all the time. Work out a deal and have that person/s send you the leads, and close the leads and flip it to the business that needs them. <br /> <br /> Just me kind of spitting some ideas off the top of my head at you to get you thinking.<br /> <br /> Them: &quot;I&#039;ve been having a terrible time with sales, its hurting business&quot;<br /> <br /> Me: &quot;What do you think the main reasons are for your sales problem?&quot;<br /> <br /> Them: &quot;Well we have people that are really good at selling, but we just aren&#039;t generating enough leads to sell to. We hired a guy to design a website and do online marketing. To be honest he has been doing a poor job and we have not had any leads from that yet&quot;<br /> <br /> Me: &quot;Yeah, I definitely understand that, being a business owner myself I know the need for good...yada yada yada... I actually know a reputable guy that I have worked with in the past that can definitely improve your lead problem. Let me give him a call, I&#039;m sure I can get you guys a discount on the service. He will be able to fix the lead problem you&#039;ve been having...yada..&quot;<br /> <br /> Me: *calls up my guy* &quot;hey man, found this lead, they need...yada yada...can you get them a good price...yada..&quot; <br /> <br /> Him: &quot;Of course, I appreciate the referral and if I come across any leads I will send them your way.&quot; *Brings cash to me later*<br /> <br /> <br /> And honestly speaking, you do not need to come up with anything new at all. Sometimes it is just a issue of being better at what you do than the competition. Here is a made up example.<br /> <br /> Me: Calls up store &quot;Hey...yada yada...so do you think you might be interested in having me design and market your website?&quot;<br /> <br /> Them: &quot;That sounds good but we actually already use a guy&quot;<br /> <br /> Me: &quot;No problem at all! May I ask how many leads a month he generates for you?<br /> <br /> Them: &quot;About 20 a month I think&quot;<br /> <br /> *Assuming you are good at what you do (better than the competition)*<br /> <br /> Me: &quot;Thats a fair amount. But what if I can guarantee 40/month? And if I do not get 40/month then you dont pay me...yada...and the best part is I would only charge you the same amount as that guy...yada...if you like my service and you know other people who might need us I can give you some big discounts to help you out even more...yada...&quot;<br /> <br /> Saying shit like that is how deals get started. Then you capitalize. Assuming you are good you will start getting word of mouth referrals out the a$$. You can also use that business as a reference. <br /> <br /> <br /> You honestly have so many options and different ways to do things. So many variables play into every single situation so its almost impossible for us to give accurate advice without knowing the details. <br /> <br /> The point I am trying to make is creativity and knowing how/what to say. On occasion I will make a big deal knowing I do not have the capacity or ability to do it. I hustle my a$$ off, by the time the deal comes around I have all the needed resources in place to do exactly what I said I would. They do not care or even know. All they care about is that the job was done at a quality standard at the time I said it would be.<br /> <br /> The worst thing you can do is sound unconfident/needy/unprofessional. &quot;Hello-o I&#039;m joe, are you having a issue with this? oh no? What about this? I can fix this? I&#039;ll do anything you need! God please let me fix something I need a F*cking sale!&quot; You get my point lol. <br /> <br /> When you do end up trying to sell a product to people. Try and get a real conversation going that on the surface has nothing to do with a sell. I did a sale worth almost $4k today. The guy was in the military like me and so were his kids. Instead of talking about the sell we started bullshitting about the military and having a good old time. Build rapport. Get to know people on a personal level and show them you really care. I do not mean pretend you care, actually F*cking care. I get a high from closing deals. I get a bigger high when I close deals that help people in a significant way.<br /> <br /> <br /></div>

 

[ZMan26]

<div class="bbWrapper">Iv been in sales for a few years now, not as much over the phone but I did learn about it a little bit<br /> <br /> Youtube &quot;grant cardone on phone sales &quot; no one here can give u as much value as he will. the guy runs a multi million $$ company, his product is sales training... if you&#039;re serious I suggest you even buy his program for phone sales, its around $900 and will probably take your business to a whole new planet. and im not an affiliate or anything lol</div>

 

[Vigilante]

<div class="bbWrapper">I am interested to learn from <b>forum members</b> if any of you have ever successfully deployed Dane Maxwell&#039;s concepts of idea extraction, and turned that process into six figures or more.<br /> <br /> I am not interested in newbies who get a google alert on this subject and come here to post their stories, because frankly we won&#039;t believe you. I won&#039;t believe you.<br /> <br /> I would, however, be interested in stories from forum members about their experiences with this paid curriculum and training. We&#039;ve talked about this for years, and I think at one point we even had Dane come in here himself to clarify a few things.<br /> <br /> So... does it work? Have you benefited financially from your investment in this? <br /> <br /> We get &quot;students&quot; in here all the time, usually one-and-done posters when they realize we know what they are up to with their idea extraction techniques (and we&#039;re not their target audience by definition.) <br /> <br /> So, are any of our existing forum members Dane Maxwell idea extraction fans? Lets hear it.</div>

 

[458]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 8202" data-quote="Vigilante" data-source="post: 550585" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=550585" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-550585">Vigilante said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I am interested to learn from <b>forum members</b> if any of you have ever successfully deployed Dane Maxwell&#039;s concepts of idea extraction, and turned that process into six figures or more.<br /> <br /> I am not interested in newbies who get a google alert on this subject and come here to post their stories, because frankly we won&#039;t believe you. I won&#039;t believe you.<br /> <br /> I would, however, be interested in stories from forum members about their experiences with this paid curriculum and training. We&#039;ve talked about this for years, and I think at one point we even had Dane come in here himself to clarify a few things.<br /> <br /> So... does it work? Have you benefited financially from your investment in this? <br /> <br /> We get &quot;students&quot; in here all the time, usually one-and-done posters when they realize we know what they are up to with their idea extraction techniques (and we&#039;re not their target audience by definition.) <br /> <br /> So, are any of our existing forum members Dane Maxwell idea extraction fans? Lets hear it. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> Who?</div>

 

[LouieLouie]

<div class="bbWrapper">Waiting.......<br /> <br /> Surely one success from the $5million plus spent on the program?</div>

 

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[Andy Black]

<div class="bbWrapper">Me: &quot;Hi, do you fix washing machines?&quot;<br /> <br /> Them: &quot;Yes.&quot;<br /> <br /> Me: &quot;Do you cover Bedford?&quot;<br /> <br /> Them: &quot;Yes.&quot;<br /> <br /> Me: &quot;We have someone who needs a washing machine repaired in Bedford. If I give you their details can you ring them in the next hour?&quot;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ...<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Idea extraction sounds painful.<br /> <br /> Why not just help people?<br /> <br /> Also, think about why all these businesses have a phone.</div>

 

[rick912]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 38731" data-quote="Joey El" data-source="post: 546072" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=546072" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-546072">Joey El said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I later found Sharon Drew Morgan&#039;s books detailing the mindset I&#039;d slipped into.<br /> It&#039;s harder than any sales methodology out there but with perseverance it works and matches MJ&#039;s and this forum&#039;s add value attitude.<br /> <br /> Good luck. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> Thanks JE for the suggestion on Sharon Drew Morgan. Found a copy of her 90&#039;s book &quot;Sales On The Line&quot; on Amazon. Great read. Reminds me of Galper, Belfort and Oran.</div>

 

[Tapp001]

<div class="bbWrapper">This is a reply to your recently closed thread, so posting here as per <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/8202/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="8202" data-username="@Vigilante">@Vigilante</a>. <br /> <br /> I&#039;ve struggled with cold calls too. Just remember that your emotions don&#039;t reflect reality. You already know that you provide value, you just have to get your heart (or random monkey brain) onside as well. How do you do this? Easy. You act as if you already believe you are delivering value and make those calls.<br /> <br /> Remember: BELIEFS FOLLOW HABITS. Not the other way around.<br /> <br /> The first few hours you do this, you will be scared and horrified when somebody picks up the phone. Then, you&#039;ll get a few positive responses, and you will feel more neutral. Then you&#039;ll get more comfortable, and when someone picks up the phone you will feel a surge of adrenaline and excitement.<br /> <br /> I&#039;ve been there. Its gets easier. And I&#039;m one of the most introverted people you will ever meet!</div>

 

[Get Right]

<div class="bbWrapper">As soon as the OP contacts one property manager he will figure it out. I&#039;ve called a lot and those guys are tough...</div>

 

[TheDillon__]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 40110" data-quote="Tapp001" data-source="post: 554728" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=554728" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-554728">Tapp001 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> This is a reply to your recently closed thread, so posting here as per <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/8202/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="8202" data-username="@Vigilante">@Vigilante</a>.<br /> <br /> I&#039;ve struggled with cold calls too. Just remember that your emotions don&#039;t reflect reality. You already know that you provide value, you just have to get your heart (or random monkey brain) onside as well. How do you do this? Easy. You act as if you already believe you are delivering value and make those calls.<br /> <br /> Remember: BELIEFS FOLLOW HABITS. Not the other way around.<br /> <br /> The first few hours you do this, you will be scared and horrified when somebody picks up the phone. Then, you&#039;ll get a few positive responses, and you will feel more neutral. Then you&#039;ll get more comfortable, and when someone picks up the phone you will feel a surge of adrenaline and excitement.<br /> <br /> I&#039;ve been there. Its gets easier. And I&#039;m one of the most introverted people you will ever meet! </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> Thanks for this Tapp, very insightful!<br /> <br /> I&#039;m not surprised to hear that most struggles in the early stages are cured by simply taking action. Looks like I&#039;ve got some work to do!</div>

 

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[TheDillon__]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 17030" data-quote="Get Right" data-source="post: 554761" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=554761" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-554761">Get Right said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> As soon as the OP contacts one property manager he will figure it out. I&#039;ve called a lot and those guys are tough... </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> I don&#039;t doubt that, you&#039;ve got to be tough to earn your salt in real estate I&#039;d imagine!<br /> <br /> That said, at the end of the day, they&#039;re no different from bakers or a Fortune 500 CEO, we all want what&#039;s best for our businesses, and we all have problems that can be solved in a cheaper, more effective way.<br /> <br /> It&#039;s up to us to go out and solve those issues!</div>

 

[IGP]

<div class="bbWrapper">In your area there are small business meetings and groups, yeah? <br /> <br /> 1. Check on meetup.com, your chamber of commerce, etc. (Find out where they are meeting and when)<br /> 2. Go to the group and make friends. Don&#039;t pitch. Just be nice and personal.<br /> 3. Develop a relationship. Help them out if you can. Just be a nice guy.<br /> 4. After some time, ask them the questions you wanted to ask when you were going to cold call them.<br /> <br /> Does this take work? Ya, i guess if you want to call that work.<br /> <br /> It&#039;s just about being a good person and genuinely wanting to help someone. That&#039;s it.<br /> <br /> The reciprocity you will receive in return will surprise you!</div>

 

[TheDillon__]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 33894" data-quote="IGP" data-source="post: 554779" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=554779" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-554779">IGP said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> In your area there are small business meetings and groups, yeah?<br /> <br /> 1. Check on meetup.com, your chamber of commerce, etc. (Find out where they are meeting and when)<br /> 2. Go to the group and make friends. Don&#039;t pitch. Just be nice and personal.<br /> 3. Develop a relationship. Help them out if you can. Just be a nice guy.<br /> 4. After some time, ask them the questions you wanted to ask when you were going to cold call them.<br /> <br /> Does this take work? Ya, i guess if you want to call that work.<br /> <br /> It&#039;s just about being a good person and genuinely wanting to help someone. That&#039;s it.<br /> <br /> The reciprocity you will receive in return will surprise you! </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> I think you&#039;re onto something with that, you&#039;re the second person to recommend meetup groups to me! <br /> <br /> I think it makes sense. Just get involved, meet a bunch of cool people, make some good connections, and naturally you&#039;ll just begin to figure out the problems they&#039;re all facing.<br /> <br /> Thanks for this!</div>

 

[Fox]

<div class="bbWrapper">I know the internet is full of tall tales but I met someone in my travels who had made a few million of a simple enough software application. <br /> <br /> He told me the only things he would recommend (and that he used) were looking at similar launches and their tactics (both successful and unsuccessful), and The Foundation. <br /> <br /> He didn&#039;t do the calls but he used the same tactics for forums, essentially asking what issues people had and then working out a need. He launched using an affiliate site (50/50 split) and he himself admits the product wasn&#039;t amazing but it wasn&#039;t too expensive either. I seen the actual figures and sales personally. He is the guy who got me into all this actually. I couldn&#039;t believe the daily sales while he sat back and did only a few hours of work a week. <br /> <br /> He didn&#039;t take the program either, just watch the videos himself.</div>

 

[TheDillon__]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 33771" data-quote="Fox" data-source="post: 554783" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=554783" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-554783">Fox said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I know the internet is full of tall tales but I met someone in my travels who had made a few million of a simple enough software application.<br /> <br /> He told me the only things he would recommend (and that he used) were looking at similar launches and their tactics (both successful and unsuccessful), and The Foundation.<br /> <br /> He didn&#039;t do the calls but he used the same tactics for forums, essentially asking what issues people had and then working out a need. He launched using an affiliate site (50/50 split) and he himself admits the product wasn&#039;t amazing but it wasn&#039;t too expensive either. I seen the actual figures and sales personally. He is the guy who got me into all this actually. I couldn&#039;t believe the daily sales while he sat back and did only a few hours of work a week.<br /> <br /> He didn&#039;t take the program either, just watch the videos himself. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> I&#039;m in the same boat. I can afford the program (as much as I would LOVE to have access to their forum!) I just simply inhaled all of the interviews and other content I could from people that were involved. <br /> <br /> I might start looking into forums as well. Seems more open than direct cold calls.<br /> <br /> Thanks!</div>

 

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[Fox]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 39259" data-quote="TheDillon__" data-source="post: 554792" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=554792" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-554792">TheDillon__ said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I&#039;m in the same boat. I can afford the program (as much as I would LOVE to have access to their forum!) I just simply inhaled all of the interviews and other content I could from people that were involved.<br /> <br /> I might start looking into forums as well. Seems more open than direct cold calls.<br /> <br /> Thanks! </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> His product was customer based so it made sense. Depends somewhat on if you are selling to companies or individuals. <br /> Individuals on forums, YouTube, reddit etc are usually early adapters. <br /> If its a B2B service/product then maybe direct calls are more effective. <br /> <br /> That is really the guts of the whole program so maybe save yourself the money, I don&#039;t know how much it costs but you can just start talking to whoever you will be selling too and get feedback from the start. Its really that simple. <br /> <br /> <b>Lots of free threads on here have similar amounts of good advice. </b></div>

 

[TheDillon__]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 33771" data-quote="Fox" data-source="post: 554793" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=554793" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-554793">Fox said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> His product was customer based so it made sense. Depends somewhat on if you are selling to companies or individuals.<br /> Individuals on forums, YouTube, reddit etc are usually early adapters.<br /> If its a B2B service/product then maybe direct calls are more effective.<br /> <br /> That is really the guts of the whole program so maybe save yourself the money, I don&#039;t know how much it costs but you can just start talking to whoever you will be selling too and get feedback from the start. Its really that simple.<br /> <br /> <b>Lots of free threads on here have similar amounts of good advice. </b> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> I would <i>like </i>to build a B2B SaaS product, but I&#039;d rather get paid before I get picky, even if that means making a consumer product instead.<br /> <br /> And thanks for the good input, I&#039;ll start looking around here! What keywords do you think I should look into,me elegant to this approach?</div>

 

[Ubermensch]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 39259" data-quote="TheDillon__" data-source="post: 545788" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=545788" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-545788">TheDillon__ said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Hey all!<br /> <br /> So I&#039;ve done some research, picked a market I would like to target, and I&#039;m calling up people and getting them on the phone. This isn&#039;t the hard part.<br /> <br /> But once I get them on the phone, it feels like there&#039;s no meat to the conversation and I never progress!<br /> <br /> The key questions I usually pose are:<br /> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What are some tasks you have to do on a regular basis that are taking up the most time?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What problems are costing your business the most money?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What are some repetitive &quot;must-do&quot; tasks that you face on a regular basis.</li> </ul>I&#039;ll get lot of First-Level answers like <i>I want more sales, </i>or<i> I want less overhead!<br /> </i><br /> I don&#039;t know how to take the person I&#039;m calling and dig for a problem that&#039;s really biting at them, which I could solve through some form of software. How do you guys dig deeper into their problems, without feeling like you&#039;re taking up too much of their time? </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> It&#039;s often best to have a specific problem or set of problems in mind that you could solve before calling the client.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/42484/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="42484" data-username="@Vilox">@Vilox</a> recently proved that simply starting and taking action can produce real results, however.<br /> <br /> You&#039;re on the right path with asking questions. If you can&#039;t readily and almost instinctively pick up on problems (based on the prospect&#039;s answers to your questions), then you likely just need more experience to master the process.<br /> <br /> The most important key to success - as <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/42484/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="42484" data-username="@Vilox">@Vilox</a> and <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/40809/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="40809" data-username="@Amon">@Amon</a> know - is repetition and continuing to go through the process. This means picking up the phone and dialing. <br /> <br /> No matter what you&#039;re doing with cold calling, you can 10X your effectiveness by buying a dialer like the one sold at <a href="http://www.mojosells.com" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="noopener">www.mojosells.com</a> for around $100 - $150 per month. <br /> <br /> Trust me. Never listening to phone rings, voice mail messages and never having to leave voice mail messages will save you massive chunks of time that will instead be spent speaking to prospects, sharpening your pitch, and refining the craft.</div>