JToneyUK

After weeks of putting it off, I've actually made some cold calls today, but I'm spending way too long staring at my spreadsheet and building up the courage to dial between calls :rolleyes:. It just really isn't natural for me, but I dunno why. The worst that can happen is they say they are not interested, and so far that's been the case lol.

I aint had any interest yet, but it is early days. I think I need to sound less sales-like and also engage in a discussion. So far they've just hinted about not being interested and I've just said ok and hung up rather than tried to turn them around. Will probs build up the courage though as I get on.

I'm using the pitch similar to those described in he mamouth "Mobile Website Design in our local market" thread. It goes along the lines of:


"Hi my name’s XXXX, I’m calling today because I came across your website while using my phone and noticed you don’t have a mobile website in place. I've been contacting local companies as I'm interested in sharing how a mobile website can benefit your business."


At this stage I usually get the response of "I dont need this thanks", or "we're not doing anymore sales stuff" and I've politely thanked them and moved on.


It was my intention here that they might ask some questions about it, or if not I could continue with telling them my purpose of the call is to arrange a meeting and I will build them a demo homepage.



I'm thinking that I should get that part into the call before they get a chance to speak so that it lets them know I'm willing to come to their business and meet face to face. I'm sure that is a little different to the norm?



Anyway, in order to do this I think I need to shorten things a little. I'm thinking of going with:



"Hi my name’s XXXX, I’m calling today because I came across your website while using my phone and noticed you don’t have a mobile website in place.


The purpose of my call is to propose a quick 10 minute meeting with you next week and I will create a mobile version of your current homepage so I can show you the value of having a mobile website in place to bring in more customers."

Again I dunno if this sounds too sales or not, but at least it gets in the fact I'm willing to meet up with them to discuss things.

So far I aint had to deal wit any gatekeepers, even if they answer should I just go ahead with that script in the hope they think "OMG this is not for me", and pass me over to the person in charge?

I know people have mentioned to specify and date and time and ask if that is good for them, but I think that'd sound too pushy or confident and it could put them off. But then again, what do I know about sales? lol.

Others have mentioned just having a general conversation. But then again I dunno how that would go. I'd assume a business owner is fairly busy, I don't think he or she would appreciate some guy on the phone saying..."sooo, how's your marketing working out?" This again, to me at least, screams "SALESMAN get rid of him"!

Anyway, maybe I just need a bit of a pat on the back or encouragement from folks. I'm glad I've actually taken some action and started to make some calls, but I am still a bit pi$$ed at myself for questioning things already and also dilly dallying between making calls!!

Work in progress I suppose.

dshipman

I understand what you're going through. I haven't gotten the hang of cold calling either, but I guess it takes a lot of practice. My anxiety around cold calling has gotten a little better because I started doing EFT tapping right before doing the calls (no laughing! lol), but seriously though, the EFT has helped me with my wacky fears around cold calling. Now I just need to figure out how to sound more natural.

I plan on spending some time on the Telemarketing Forum since I've heard some really good things about it.

tomzuck

If you can hook yourself up to a dialer system. You can get low cost trials out there.

Telemarketing and inside sales is a numbers game. You need to come up with rebuttals for suggestions and as difficult as it may seem, you shouldn't just take a straight no for an answer. At least try to inquire why they aren't interested.

The longer you stay with a person on the phone, the higher the likelihood that they will purchase what you are selling.

If you can, try to build rapport with the person. Get leads from the newspaper ... you can talk to businesses about their mentions in the paper. It's a lot easier to make the sale by talking to them about ego-boosters like recent press. You're job is to turn the cold call into a warm call.

I hope this helps.

stesnees

I have to say that I'm not keen on cold calling either.
Not sure what it is to be honest. Maybe I'm just not too keen on rejection!
I thought about hiring somebody on a commission only basis to do the calling and see how that goes.
But first I am gonna see if the Mrs will have a go at it for me as she has a wonderful telephone voice compared to mine.

NameThatCandy

So far I have been no luck with any cold calling, actually my hubby does the cold calling for me. For some reasons, he never can talk to a "REAL" person, no one pick up the phone, he has to leave voice mails. Of course, none of them call back. At least, you are able to talk to someone.

I want to approach car dealers like the other thread about sms marketing for car dealers. Now I am not sure to call or go there directly.

JToneyUK

Ha, love it! Get the mrs to do the dirty work!

I'm gonna keep going at it until I become disheartened.

JToneyUK

Yeah I'm planning to go for car dealers also, but I was hoping to maybe just get some other mobile sites under my belt first.

With the car dealers I'm gonna get an example page and QR code/text number flier and go round to visit them in person.

DougPage

Congratulations on just getting started! That's the most important step.

I do like your second script better but for me I would make a few changes:

Just a small explanation for the changes. In talking with some business owners, I have found that they really don't understand what a mobile website is or even a smartphone for that fact. Cell phones they do know so I plan on using the lowest common denominator in my discussions until I get to know them.

"The purpose of my call is to propose..." sounds awkward and besides you want to make a business proposal at the meeting not now. I started with "I would love to..." to show that I have real interest in wanting to share with the business owner this information. In the same sentence, you also get to use their business name, which most owners like to hear, and also explain how big of a potential market is there.

And, of course, the final paragraph defines "the offer". He will get to hear that you are going to be in his area, which give some urgency, and then immediately offer something for free that most bricks and mortar stores are wanting - how to get more customers. You notice that you are also offering free information and not proposing a meeting. Which would you like better? Makes it easier to say yes.

Also make sure that you have a list of facts as some people are going to question you and will want answers on the phone. Having that info quickly available shows them your expertise. You can add to this list as other questions get asked. Remember that every contact is a learning lesson.

Everyone has some level of discomfort when contacting a stranger whether they are asking for something or not. That's just normal. Although I have not started my IM business yet, I have found when doing phone and face to face over the last 30 years that my attitude and sound of my voice changes if I have a small natural smile on my face while doing it. I have found that in a face to face scenario it also is a little more disarming.

Hope this helps and good luck with the rest of your list. Let us know what happens.

JToneyUK

Doug, those tweaks are so simple, easy and make perfect sense!

It's gone from salesy "I can do this for you, interested?" to "here's a problem, and I can show you a solution, in person for free".

Thanks for that, and I will be trying it out.

ryanpadilla

Hi JToneyUK

Congratulations on your taking action.

I am no expert in the cold calling world but I am going to share my thoughts regardless. haha hope you don't mind.

It's all about getting the meeting and asking for it. Keeping in control of the conversation and asking for the meeting. You can do this if you want, I do it because hell, I got nothing to lose. Which is I don't take a no for an answer I talk until they hang up on me or they say yes. That't not for everyone, but that is just how I do it.


I have been getting meeting by saying this.

First I ask for the owner or the marketing manager. If they aren't available I ask for the manager.

"Hi, my name is Ryan Padilla, I am a local business owner in town and I found you on my mobile phone and noticed you don't have a mobile ready website. I have created a sample mobile site of your website and would like to come in to show it to you for 5 minutes. I can come in tomorrow in between 2 and 4 or the next day between 3 and 4 which day works best for you?

Not interested?

XXXXX, if I may? I just want to let you know very quick that you are losing business right now and you are going to be losing even more business in the future by not having a mobile site in place. If you have a mobile site in place you will be able to increase your customers likeliness to do business with you by 51% and visitors will visit your website twice as many times as they do if you just have a standard site. I already have the site set up and it will take 5 minutes just to take a look. What is the best time in the next two days I can come in and show it to you? Tomorrow in between (this time) and (this time) or the net day in between (this time) and (this time.)

I have just started using this, but it seems to be getting a lot better response, it's not what you say it's how you say it. Be nice, but be direct. It's about asking for the meeting until you get it.

Let me know if you use it and how it goes.

flightrisk

JToneyUK I too was going nuts cold calling and wasnt getting any where, so I made a change.

What it do is "specialize" in a niche like Pizza places, then i'll map out the area im going to be in the next day. I'll find all the places that have a site then I'll do a quick mobile site, ( ive got it down to 20 min.) then ill do that for 10 places.

I'll walk into those pizza places, (in off hours) hand them a flyer I made, to break the ice, and show them the site ive created. I go out on Mondays and Thursdays in the morning before 11am and after 2pm. avoiding lunch and dinner.

My background is one-call-close so im used to this kind of pace.

So cold calling might be quick and you'll land 1 out of 100 calls, but if you went to 100 pizza place's and showed them their mobile site the results are a lot different.

TheLocalCoach

Nice script changes DougPage!

I would add one element from Ryan's approach which is to identify yourself as a Local Business Owner. Just that subtle difference will help earn you more respect from the prospects.

Congrats on getting started!

PandaPoacher

Making calls is one thing I think everyone dreads, but you kind of just have to do it sometimes. I usually just talk to them like I'd talk to a friend. May not seem professional to some, but it does work sometimes.

mjbmedia

Well done JT on jumping in the well.

I know from yuor previous posts that this wasnt easy for you, but now you started, youre probably thinking, this aint so bad after all .

Practice might not make perfect but it sure does improve things so keep on going, maybe start with the businesses you dont care so much about winning so use them as practice fodder to hone your skills, you can always go back to them again when youre better.

Some people will be more open and chatty than others, when they are chatty then use it to your advantage, come away from the script (which should never be cast in stone anyway) and just start talking with them.

Its better for you to develop your own wording, your own phrasing using words and ways of talking that are you and that youre comfortable with so thats its actually YOU conversing with them, bearing in mind too that UK based business owners respond to different things than the USA ones .

But keep going , at the end of every day go over what you did, think how could I have done that better, then do it better thenext day.

Mike

JToneyUK

Cheers for the advice folks! It's all useful to know.

Ryan - I do like your "pushy" approach, or should I say advising them of the potential loss of business in order to turn them around. This convincing tactic will no doubt come with practice.

Jay - I had been using that "local business owner" so far, and it kind of seemed long winded. I guess it could add some credibility but at the same time it donesn't seem right saying it lol.

MJB - Great idea about targeting businesses I aint so bothered about landing for practice purposes. You were right, after the call was made and it was a no thank you I was still happy just for the fact I'd rang them. I still need to eliminate the time gap between making calls though. I also know what you mean about UK people's pysche compared to those in the USA. I think over there, they are alot more receptive whereas over here, we are all skeptical of strangers calling us for business.

I had intended to continue calling today but my step father has a day off and I can't make calls with somebody else lurking around. Ha!

Flightrisk - I have a few ideas to specialise in certain areas whereby I am going to drop in on those business

Corky50

Hey JT,

I was an insurance agent for 30 years. In my experience, unless you can engage them ASAP, you won't get far. got a little suggestion to do that for you.

Instead of hitting them right off with you being "in the business", perhaps if you just mention that their site didn't come up very well, from you as a customer ONLY, and ask them if they have seen it on a smartphone.

The most obvious answer would be no, or they would take care of it. Tell them you also know where a simulator is so they can check it out for themselves. "could I email you a link to it?" At this point you are a very helpful member of the community. Sure their radar will be going off if they are experienced, but how can they refuse? As far as they know it IS a customer and if they care about customers' they won't hang up.

So email them a simulator link and if they are a restaurant also tell them to enter in OlvieGarden.Com or whoever is their competition that has taken care of this. You might even want to make a sample site "for the competition" if you have one of the quick builders. When they see what their site looks like vs their competition's... and the comp has taken care of it and they haven't, it will become much more pressing an issue and at this point - Now I would let the cat out of the bag that you can help them.

Do this for each restaurant (OR?) that shows up on Google maps or Adwords, as you know they are aware of their internet presence. The first one that bites, make their site and do the same thing with the competitor who's site you already made to use as an example, but reverse and show their competitors site and mention they have already done something.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I haven't tried this. But after putting it to printed word, I think I may one of these days. Sounds pretty good to me. Just be sure the title of your email grabs their attention. ie "THEIRSITENAME.com looks like CRAP on my smartphone".

Also remember that sales are almost NEVER made at first contact. It does take a relationship a few times to build. how ever you structure it, make it multi "touch" or you are setting yourself up to fail.

Keep in mind also, that you already know some other business owners in town. Why not do a sample site for them free to use as a testimonial. You might get a free dinner out of it anyway... social proof is great too!

good luck,
corky

JToneyUK

Corky, thanks for your input, that's given me a few ideas. Of course I am not giving up on those I have called. I'm planning a follow up email and can indeed implement some of those things you outline above. Cheers.

MKBridge

I also go reght to the business with a mock up. Show them what their regular site looks like, and then the mock up. They are amazed. And then mention the stats of people doing local searches on their phone - 40%. Hooked!