There has been an ongoing debate in the world of professional salespeople. Should you cold call or only rely on referrals and advertising?
First let’s define a cold call. I define a cold call as any contact with any organization where there has been none in the past and there is no point of contact or established relationship of any kind. If your prospect doesn’t know who you are personally then it is a cold call. If they have never heard of your organization, then it is a cold call.
Many salespeople proudly say; “I don’t need to cold call. I am an expert. I promote my business through speaking engagements and referrals.” Well that is fine and good, but that is a very slim percentage of salespeople out there. The vast majority of salespeople don’t. Should they? Yes. Why they don’t, I am not sure. Do I? Not as much as I would like? It is my personal feeling that many buyers really don’t want to deal with “experts”. They want to deal with someone that is trustworthy, friendly, likeable, and knowledgeable of the product or service they are selling. If they are like you, odds are they will buy from you.
Cold calling can be very time consuming, and if not done properly it can be a huge waste of time. If your organization is sales driven then there is no question you had better be cold calling. Weather it is on the phone, email, or in-person. In my almost 15 years of selling I have closed more deals and some of the largest deals just based off a cold call.
Here is a process to follow:
- Target the right client base
- Find the right person to talk to
- Get in front of him or her
- Establish a solid professional relationship
- Make a solid presentation
- Close the deal
If you follow this process, you will reduce errors, and you will be able the control the outcome.
All industries are different. The process can differ based on your clientele. Putting together a specific strategy may require some trial and error. In the long run you will understand why people buy from you and why they don’t. Knowing those reasons and applying them to your process is some of the most valuable information you can possess.
So, pick up the phone and call 10 or 20 prospects today. Tell them who you are and why they should sit down and talk with you. Demonstrate value and why others have bought from you and you will find more clients and grow your business.
You need to make a helluva lot more than 20 phone dials per day to get through to enough prospects on the phone that may buy something. These days 9 out of 10 people don’t answer their phone. So, if you only dial the phone 20 times a day, chances are you’ll only get to speak to a couple of people about buying your product. Not enough! I find that it takes a minimum of 100 dials per day to make cold calling really pay off.
Pete,
You are right, it was just an example for literary sake.
I try and include email, phone, and in-person into the mix.
Thank you for reading and sharing your ideas.