Cold Calling- What am I doing wrong

You're a small business owner, use that to your advantage. Small biz owners are in such a rush to become a nameless faceless organization when the biggest thing they have going for them is the fact that they're a small business owner!

Unless you've got a team of employees (not contractors) and a large office with staff onsite, dont call yourself production company or even a web development company.

Try this instead:

"Good morning, my names Anthony K. I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. I just opened a web development company in $CityName just down the street (around the corner/across town/whatever) from you. I'd like to come by an introduce myself in person but I don't want to get in the way of your customers. What would be a good time for me to stop by and speak with you."

OR if you have some office space, this one works well for me

"Good Morning, $NAME, this is Anthony K, I just opened $COMPANYNAME down the street from you doing web design. I'm trying to get to know all of the other business owners in the neighborhood and wanted to invite you to come by for coffee and bagels before work on Wednesday morning. It's an opportunity not just for me to meet you, but for you to meet the other entrepreneurs in $CITYNAME. I'm going to set out the coffee and bagels at 7AM and w'll go to 9:30AM. Come on by and say hi!"

Put the emphasis on YOU not on the business name. It's your business, you want to meet them, you want to do business with them.

My business card has my name in LARGE letters and the company name/logo almost as an afterthought on the side. New clients come to me because they were referred to me and want to work with me.

Good luck with it!

Well, if that's the script you're using, I'd try something different. No offense but if someone called me saying that, I'd instantly think salesman and hang up as fast as I can. The first two questions you ask are "yes or no" questions....so that's an easy out for the owner right there.

Are you trying to sell to local businesses? If so, I would try to get a face to face appointment with them instead of trying to sell them your services right on the phone.

I'd say something like....

"Hi, this is Anthony from xx company and we work with local businesses to help them increase their customer base as well as increase their profits. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to stop by your establishment for a few minutes to introduce myself, drop off some of our information and maybe discuss how we might be able to do business together."

See. Non threatening.

This way you're not slamming them with a sales pitch right over the phone (which is begging for a quick hang-up). You're simply trying to get an appointment and then you can get them talking about their business, what's working for them, what's not working for them, and eventually telling them how you can help.

But the key is to get in front of them and let them start talking about their business (owners love doing that). Then, and only then, will you know what problem you help them solve.

Mike

When I call I open with the usual hi, how are you doing? Then I ask if I can speak to the person who handles the website. They either say, I don't have one, they are not here right now, or that's me.

Answer, I don't have one, ask this questions. Business owner, who is the best ____ in town? They will say Joe the ____ or me of course. Well business owner, if your the best at ____ then why when I do a search for _____ I have to settle for a ____ who isn't the best since your not there? Then take it from there.

Answer, they are not here right now. What is their name and when can I call back and speak with them?

Answer, That's me. Great, I found an error on your website? Wait for answer. It should be something like what is it? Then tell them the errors in the coding and keyword density selection or what ever. Then take it from there.

I get deals and prospects just about every time I call like this. I don't call 100's each time either. I'm lucky if I call 50.

I hope this helps.

I love that script.

I will be using it in the morning!!!!!!!!!!

No offense but it sounds way too much like a salesperson. First off, make sure you're getting to the right person. Unless you're calling a very small business, it's not going to be the person answering the phone. Sales is all about asking the right questions to understand what the prospect wants, and then spinning that to show them how you can help. Also, try and avoid questions they can easily say no to like "are you interested in that?" Instead ask "what would an increase of x amount of people calling (due to me getting you to page 1 of google) do for your business?

Let me know how it goes.

Check this out and see if it helps:

http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...ml#post3627899

Split-test can also be done with testing different manuscripts. Do it. My first job ever was on a telemarketing job. I remember that it could be hard in the beginning, but then it just started to work out smoothly.

x Be calm when you speak. Even if you think that you are talking slow enough. Slow it down a little bit more. But not so they think that you have any type of disorder.

x Mark some words that I call for "breakpoints" i.e bold some words that "needs to be bolded". These words are the words that We think is the gamechanger in the manuscript. The words that keep them holding the phone against their ears listening what also you got to say.

x These bolded breakpoint words can be say in a more excited way in order to get the customer excited himself. Basically: Change dialect, accept, to sound more.. Come up with a word. I hope you know what I mean.

For example if you are going to invite people to a meeting where you tell about a certain Right that they got now when they are 60 years old - Bold the sh%t out of "right" when you talk about it.

x Read your manuscripts xxx times. You need to be able to speak the manus fluently, in and out. Which I guess you already know and do but could be worth mentioning.


Summary: Be calm. Mark some words. Change the manuscript a lot.

The example of a new manuscript that Mike / couchpotato gave you is a good example.

Its important that you have the advantage in the opening of your call. So spit out a few sentences that will act as a bait. Make sure they are pretty catchy so they will be more than happy to keep listening to what you have to say.


Good luck!



Regards,
Alex Nash

Hi Sconlinemarketing

I like that script. I can see that your delivery is straight to the website.

Makes a lot of sense.

Thanks a million for this.

SC- I am going to use the script in 30 mins.

What type businesses are you targeting?

I target smaller biz. That way I am almost guaranteed to speak to the owner. Plumbers, electricians, hvac, constructions, roofers, tree service, custom builders, Photographers, painters.

Good stuff Sconline

Lot's of great advice in here. I would just point out that a cold call in my opinion is only at first to know who the decision maker is, and how much are they going to understand what I am talking about at all.

If you think about the last twenty years in web design and how much it has changed every year and even month to month; the idea of what a web is and what it does for you is largely missunderstood; especially by localized companies. They have this vision that you put a site up, then out of millions of people you just kind of "luck out" as to who comes and visits you. Now, of course there are tons of companies large and small that know better, but you will have to determine the range of how well they "get it". So in a cold call, a major point of order is to just get to meet them; on the phone or in person.

Do they have time to talk? That one is up in the air as well. I usually just push forward and calibrate every minute or two; or even by the second at first. The advantage of the phone of course being that I can always call back - but also I don't let go of the idea of pushing a little. Sometimes the only art here is being tactful with time.

Unless you are doing a cold call from the top down, you are likely going to run into gatekeepers left and right; and have to play their game. If you call from the top down, then you can get in to the decision maker faster, but you better be even more tactful in respecting time when you go from the owner and down.

Trying to "hook" with something is the same tactic that is being used by toner salesman, insurance salesman and every other high pressure outfit out there using the phones. Of course now you have companies like yellowbook who are cross selling and upselling directory - then a localized IM package - then a web site (on their site) and all of this driven by a boiler room outfit; and they are not the only ones. So, offline marketing is also being hammered right now by the big boys - DON'T ACT LIKE THEM and you have that problem solved. Business owners love to make decisions with consultants they can get a hold of; so act like that and you can stand over the rest even on a simple cold call.

One of my favorite lines I get on the phone btw is this "We only deal with local companies..." I don't know if I am the only one hearing this, but I get it all the time. I respond with "Good news -thanks" and end the call. What next? I go down there in person. Walk in and demand to be seen since they just said they will work with me as I am a local person. Am I leaving out details on that? Pretty much, do what you find works - but I really recommend you show them that you want to actually know who they are; even if you do it in 30 seconds it should be your top goal.

I'd hang up on that call too ...
Way to "salesy" ..
Instead of soundling like every other telemarketer out there, why not approach as you'd like to be approached?

I'd also suggest you research the business's you're calling before picking up the phone .. A quick google search should tell you if they already have a site or not

Rev

I hope you received some help.
thread went askew i think.

stay on the phone and tell about a great offer and you will be fine and learn along the way


kirby