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Cold calling (phone vs face to face)

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pipedream2017

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So i am going to start cold calling small businesses. Specifically barber shops. Would it be better to call them or visit them in person?
 
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Stargazer

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Walk in.

The 'hardest' - for want of a better word - thing to get rid of is a person, then a call then a letter then an email.

During the day they are less busy and more likely to have 5 minutes for you as long as what you have to say is of interest to them.

There must be dozens if not hundreds near you in London. You can easily visit 10 a day between 10:00 and 15:00 before the school kids start the afternoon rush.

If they buy what you have then you can change plans as visiting will become less feasible once you have exhausted your locality.

You will also have figured out what to say on phone, letter or email by then as you physically see the reactions you get to certain words and phrases you use.

Dan
 

Djioul

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Walk in.

The 'hardest' - for want of a better word - thing to get rid of is a person, then a call then a letter then an email.
I agree, for this kind of business, you can't avoid visiting in person.
My question would be: isn't it a good idea to give a first call to announce yourself and avoid disturbing your potential customer.

I was asking myself the same question in another country for other customers (bakery).
So thanks @pipedream2017 for starting this thread !
 

Stargazer

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My question would be: isn't it a good idea to give a first call to announce yourself and avoid disturbing your potential customer.

No :)

You are dealing with a small retail type business. Most of them have very few customers actually inside their stores during the week days hence the hours I put above.

And you can see this just by walking past. I often walk past a jewellery shop when going to the supermarket and I don't think I have ever seen anyone inside except the staff.

I always get my hair cut at 11:00 as I know I can walk straight in and be seated with in 5 minutes maximum, often immediately. One of the barbers cuts my hair and the other if not busy is just chatting waiting for someone else to come in.

Come 15:30 though both chairs are occupied and all 6 waiting chairs are full right through to 20:00

So I would make a list of 10 barbers and on each half hour walk in, get my 5 minutes if they are not occupied and be at the next one 20 minutes later. If one was busy I would go to next and come back to it so by end of day I have seen all 10 That is not rushing around, I can stop for tea, have lunch and not get too flustered.

He is in London so that would be easier than if you live in a small town with only 3 barber shops.

Dan
 
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David Fitz

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I can't think of a worse way to get business than cold calling. I get cold calls all the time and I just want to hang up.

Maybe face to face will be better, but will the owner be there? Are you going to be talking to staff who really don't give a shit?
 

Andy Black

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Odysseus M Jones

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I don’t even answer the phone nowadays unless I recognise the number.
Me too, if they're not in contacts I ignore it.
I've even deactivated voicemail.

It has bitten me few times though, delivery drivers are supposed to call first because of dogs.

Luckily the dogs didn't bite the drivers.
 

SimoJames

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Me too, if they're not in contacts I ignore it.
I've even deactivated voicemail.

It has bitten me few times though, delivery drivers are supposed to call first because of dogs.

Luckily the dogs didn't bite the drivers.

So i am going to start cold calling small businesses. Specifically barber shops. Would it be better to call them or visit them in person?
I am a door to door salesman, and definitely having a person in front is better but not easier. it might be useful to delegate customer profiling to affiliates (PPC or PPA) and then visit the warmed lead to whom your product actually solves the problem.
 

Johnny boy

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Ringless voicemails so you don’t have to do the work of calling, you can do an unlimited number in a day, it’s less obtrusive, it costs like $0.07 a message, they think it was a real person that called them so they’re more receptive of the message, etc.

Can’t do that with door knocking and calling.
 
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