Why You Should Cold Call Before You Ever Mail

6 replies
Since the topic of cold calling seems to generate some heat here, I'd like to share a method I've been using for a long time. Probably more than 15 years actually...

Its method that complements my skills. I'm a marketer, a salesman, and a copywriter.
This cold call approach enhances all three aspects of any project. Marketers sometimes think if you cold call, that's all you do to get business but I don;t see it that way.

I try to get the synergistic benefit of ALL marketing tactics and leaving out cold calling is a mistake, imo.

For me, it's saved a small fortune in wasted, poorly targeted mailings and mis-targeted offers (This is key, btw). Had I known this approach and believed in it from the beginning, I would have not wasted $20K on one project alone. I still cringe when I think about that one.

So here's what I have found:

It pays to cold call some of my likely prospects BEFORE I ever invest in a decent size mailing. The benefits are many. First, I can save a great deal of money, if my targeted offer is wrong. By talking to a few prospects who I believe are prefect for the offer, I'll quickly and efficiently learn whether I'm right or wrong.

If I go out to 8 or 10 reasonably qualified prospects and get highly negative responses I will go back and re-structure my offer or perhaps abandon it entirely. I can accomplish this in an afternoon or maybe two at most. It has proven to be the best 'time investment' I can make.

Secondly, when I ask the right way, the same prospects who tell me the offer is not attractive will often tell me EXACTLY what the offer should be. This, obviously changes my plans, and causes me to redesign/rewite my offer and mailing before spending a nickel.

If I had just mailed what I thought would work, and I got 'zilch' for a response, I would assume it failed, of course, but I wouldn't know WHY. I wouldn't know which way to go next. I could guess again, and do another mailing, but I'd be shooting in the dark. (hint: that's whats wrong with most mailings - they are done 'blind', so to speak.)

Yes, I could try calling the non-responders and seeing what they would tell me, but why invest the cash first? Cold calling BEFORE the mailing investment saves me a lot of money, and gives me market intelligence I could not acquire any other way.

This approach has led to more successful mailings, better intelligence, more targeted offers and way fewer bombs. That's just one way old fashioned cold calling still works today. ...and a way you may not have thought of.
_____
Bruce
#call #cold #mail
  • Profile picture of the author jacquic
    Interesting approach, and I can see why it works for you.

    I've done the same indirectly (through questionnaires), and will give your idea a go.

    ~ Jacqui

    $20k ... ouch
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  • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
    Great post Bruce.

    I'm phoning to get permission to send.

    It's a brilliant way to see if you have nailed
    the biggest benefit for your prospect.

    Because the more questions they ask,
    or they say "no", you haven't nailed it.

    Shorter and precise is what works best.

    The point is to get permission to send your
    piece.

    The piece is a mock up of what they get
    as a finished product.

    It has to be closely related to what they are already doing
    so they "get it".

    I got the permission to send "my piece" to the
    best known real estate agent [has had 2 tv programs]
    with this approach last week.

    Last week I guy said "if this works with x then come and see me Monday."

    I wouldn't have got that response from him if I hadn't
    made the calls and adjusted my approach as I went.

    Don't expect to nail it out the gate...you'll have to adjust as you go.

    If you are prepared to do it, then you have high
    quality prospects to talk to.

    And they have given you permission.

    Best,
    Ewen
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  • Profile picture of the author John Durham
    Awesome post Bruce! Thanks!

    A HIGHLY effective tactic that goes along with what you are saying is calling and asking permission to fax.... when you get permission say "Would it be alright for me to call back later when you have had a chance to look at it..."? Usually they will say sure... so you call them back later as they have your fax in hand, and you talk them through it into a close.
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  • Profile picture of the author club20coaching
    Hey Bruce

    Telesales can have very high conversions and I have never seen 24% conversions on a sales page so I could not agree with you more. If you don't have a telesales team you are only hurting yourselves.

    Cheers
    JC
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  • Profile picture of the author Dexx
    It's all about the offer. Something I've repeated many times, but typically just ignored for the next "magic bullet" WSO promise.

    If more people realized that the business owner's were -- for the most part -- rejecting their OFFER and not THEM...they wouldn't have such a crippling fear of talking to business owners (or going to networking events).

    Message. Market. Media.

    Master the 3 M's and you remove 99% of the roadblocks in landing new clients...the problem is that many marketers get so focused on just ONE aspect (i.e. buying "media focused" products related to "postcard marketing" or "cold calling" etc. and then forget the fact that cold calling still requires the other two M's to be successful)

    Cheers,

    ~Dexx
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    • Profile picture of the author Amir Luis
      Originally Posted by Dexx View Post

      It's all about the offer. Something I've repeated many times, but typically just ignored for the next "magic bullet" WSO promise.

      If more people realized that the business owner's were -- for the most part -- rejecting their OFFER and not THEM...they wouldn't have such a crippling fear of talking to business owners (or going to networking events).

      Message. Market. Media.

      Master the 3 M's and you remove 99% of the roadblocks in landing new clients...the problem is that many marketers get so focused on just ONE aspect (i.e. buying "media focused" products related to "postcard marketing" or "cold calling" etc. and then forget the fact that cold calling still requires the other two M's to be successful)

      Cheers,

      ~Dexx
      Thank you Dexx for that reminder of the 3 M's....

      The first thing I had to swallow was the fact that I cannot take it personally if someone tells me no. Often reminding myself... "Self, it's nothing about you... it's about them."

      "Them" being in this case... My offer wasn't for them. They didn't want what I was pushing.....

      Straight and simple.

      Having three points to cover with the three M's make for a perfectly balanced triangle. If one of the points of the triangle is unbalanced. It will just spin out of control. If it is balanced... everything will sync and your offers go smooth.

      hmmmm.... thank you for that.
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