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A different response to cold calling...

by digichik
12 replies
For the last month or so, I have started cold calling again, for at least 2 hours, at least 3 times per week(Tues., Wed. and Thurs.). I could just keep going off of referrals, but I have learned that in order for me to keep my skills sharp, I need to cold call.


Anyway, I called a guy yesterday and I got a really interesting response to my call -- he told me he was interested in meeting with me because I had bothered to call him. We set the appt. for next week. He went on to tell me he gets lots of sales emails, that he deletes, but no one had bothered to phone him. I was somewhat shocked, but happy.(Potentially a nice size account)


Imagine that... just when we think everyone is inundated with sales calls everyday, I learned that's not true.


This call was completely cold.


So yeah, cold calling still works.
#calling #cold #response
  • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
    Glad to see you're back at it Digi

    You took what - 6 or 8 months off? Did you have any problems picking the phone
    back up? Just curious. The first time I stopped for a while, I was nervous...
    real nervous. I actually put off doing it with one excuse after another for a while.

    However, that first phone call was magic, once I started talking...boom - I was back !

    Also - guess what came in the other day.... that lost email from you.
    About 3 or 4 days ago, I just about fell over laughing.
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  • Profile picture of the author digichik
    No I haven't taken time off, just been suffering from a bad case of complacency. I get lots of referrals, and past customers call for new projects, so I just coasted. That's not good.


    Yep, I had to talk myself into picking up the phone and stop with the excuses. Once I got going I too was on a roll. Some days I really have fun with it, other days not so much, but I keep dialing.


    This skill is priceless and I want to keep it sharp. Besides, old school sales is where the fun is, whether on the phone or face to face.
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  • Profile picture of the author jimmcdonald909
    He sounds lonely....watch your a***.
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  • Profile picture of the author DaniMc
    I have the same experience.

    I've been using the same phone number for business for many years - and I still get maybe 2 sales calls per week. Usually it's less than that.

    I don't care what anyone claims - they aren't really getting that many sales calls.

    It's funny how those one or two nasty people can make us afraid to call. I have three or four who really get stuck in my head. I can still hear their words over and over right before I start calling.

    Then I remember all the money I have made, all the nice people I have met, and how easy it really is.

    Once the phone starts dialing - the reluctance goes away. I realize how fortunate I am to live so well by doing something so simple.

    We can live like kings with very, very little effort. Amazing.
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  • Profile picture of the author jimmcdonald909
    what you mean people hat are actually pis***you cold called them?

    So they should be happy and polite to all cold callers? Grow a pair son.

    those one or two nasty people can make us afraid to call
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      I own a retail store. We get between 10-15 robo calls a day, and maybe 10-12 live cold calls. Mostly to change our utilities, credit card processing, to asking for money from a charity.

      Retail stores get more cold calls.

      And about once every few days, a guy walks in selling some advertising thing.

      I guess it depends on the kind of business you have.

      But none of that matters. A smart, professional sounding cold caller, that knows my name..will get a minute on the phone with me.

      And the reason I stores like mine get so many cold calls, is because it pays.
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      • Profile picture of the author DaniMc
        Originally Posted by jimmcdonald909 View Post

        what you mean people hat are actually pis***you cold called them?

        So they should be happy and polite to all cold callers? Grow a pair son.
        LOL. Pissed people are pissed people. They get angry at lots of things. If someone gets angry about a phone call, they have deeper issues.

        How someone treats one person, in any situation, reveals who they really are. People shouting in traffic or at the caller have problems in other areas as well. There are no isolated behaviors.

        So, in a way I am glad they are rude on the phone - so I can disqualify them quickly. One of my qualifiers is that I have to like you, which is pretty easy because I like most people.

        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        I own a retail store. We get between 10-15 robo calls a day, and maybe 10-12 live cold calls. Mostly to change our utilities, credit card processing, to asking for money from a charity.

        Retail stores get more cold calls.

        And about once every few days, a guy walks in selling some advertising thing.

        I guess it depends on the kind of business you have.

        But none of that matters. A smart, professional sounding cold caller, that knows my name..will get a minute on the phone with me.

        And the reason I stores like mine get so many cold calls, is because it pays.
        I guess that is more than I expected. At the same time, you have more people around to answer I assume. A retail business probably gets more than the consulting/professional services types of businesses.
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by DaniMc View Post

          I guess that is more than I expected. At the same time, you have more people around to answer I assume. A retail business probably gets more than the consulting/professional services types of businesses.
          No, just my wife and myself. My employees don't answer the phone.

          But about getting angry when you get a call?

          I used to cold call on the phone, and I think I've had two people actually yell at me. It really doesn't happen.

          And when a real person calls, if they act like a fellow business person, how can you get mad at them? We are all just making a living. We are all selling something.

          And half of business is buying.
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          • Profile picture of the author DABK
            I used to get 5-10 calls a day, mostly robo calls and a random email till about 3 months ago. About 3 months ago, the call number dropped to about 5 a week, but I started to get 10-20 email messages a day, mostly web designers who want to change an element or two of one of my secondary sites, my local Google specialists, SEO people (half of them start with: I can get you 300 visitors a day... makes me wonder when did you guys vote 300 as a special number), a promotional products company (they also sent me a letter with a sample), pay roll companies, phone services companies, but mostly, my Google specialists, SEO and web development people.

            I wonder what happened... did some guru declare cold calling dead and cold emails king of marketing while I was not looking?
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            • Profile picture of the author mojo1
              Originally Posted by DABK View Post

              I used to get 5-10 calls a day, mostly robo calls and a random email till about 3 months ago. About 3 months ago, the call number dropped to about 5 a week, but I started to get 10-20 email messages a day, mostly web designers who want to change an element or two of one of my secondary sites, my local Google specialists, SEO people (half of them start with: I can get you 300 visitors a day... makes me wonder when did you guys vote 300 as a special number), a promotional products company (they also sent me a letter with a sample), pay roll companies, phone services companies, but mostly, my Google specialists, SEO and web development people.

              I wonder what happened... did some guru declare cold calling dead and cold emails king of marketing while I was not looking?
              Lol, yes you can blame it on Mark Helton's Hotprospector software, Costas Peppas, Contact Legend software and Bryan Kreuzberger's email course.

              All product owners have been heavily promoting their wares over the last 3-5 months.
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              • Profile picture of the author DABK
                Well, tell them to stop it already! My computer screen is going blind.

                Originally Posted by mojo1 View Post

                Lol, yes you can blame it on Mark Helton's Hotprospector software, Costas Peppas, Contact Legend software and Bryan Kreuzberger's email course.

                All product owners have been heavily promoting their wares over the last 3-5 months.
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